Daddies Girls
by Angie Elle
Summary: 3 basketball players from TreeHillUniversity are about to have their lives turned upside down when 3 new transfers arrive. LN&J, all intent on looking to the future, are forced to look to the present as BH&P enter their lives. Naley, Brucas, & Jeyton
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer I am including this because I've seen it on several other threads. I do not own One Tree Hill. If I did, there would be 52 episodes in a season.

Some quick background info:

Haley James had come to Tree Hill looking for something new. After spending her entire life growing up in Maine, she was looking for something a little more cutting edge. She thought she might find it in Tree Hill, North Carolina. So far, she hadn't.

Brooke Davis grew up in California. She had practically raised herself. She'd had a nanny until she was 13, but after that, her parents figured she was able to take care of herself. She came to Tree Hill because she'd vacationed there once when she was younger and loved the coziness of the town. She wanted to get away from big city life, and figured this was the perfect place to escape to.

Peyton Sawyer grew up in Tree Hill, so her view of it was pretty accurate. She knew it was no where near cutting edge, as Haley was looking for, but her friend Brooke was right. It was cozy. Peyton hadn't liked that when she was here, but after spending two years at UCLA, she longed for the life she had had in Tree Hill. That's why she came home. And brought her roommate with her.

After their sophomore years at UCLA, Peyton and Brooke decided to come back to Peyton's home town of Tree Hill to attend Tree Hill University. The girls found a three bedroom apartment off campus that was perfect for them. But in order to have extra money (which Brooke always found useful), they decided to post an ad for a third roommate.

Haley James desperately needed to get away. After her ex-best friend ended up married to her ex-boyfriend, she decided that the last thing she wanted to do was randomly run into them all around the town. The perfect solution? Find a new town! After transferring to Tree Hill University, the only thing Haley was missing--was a place to live. As studious as she was, Haley refused to live in the dorms. They were too distracting. So after answering many ads, Haley found the perfect apartment. She wasn't sure what the other occupants were like, but she was willing to give it a try. If things got too crazy, there was always the library.

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Nathan, Luke and Jake had all attended Tree Hill High School together and were an unstoppable force on their basketball teams. Their junior and senior years they had gone undefeated, leading Tree Hill High to their first and to date, only two state championships. This earned the three of them the nickname "Tree Hill Tree-O." But the boys had much more than that in common. They were each single fathers, struggling to make it. It wasn't money that was the issue with them, it was the day to day efforts of raising children, and wanting to do it correctly.

Jake – Jake and Nikki had dated for a while, and Nikki ended up pregnant. Not long after the baby was born, Nikki left town without a word. Jake was left alone with Jenny and had been raising her with lots of help from his parents ever since.

Nathan – Nathan was in much the same boat as Jake. His high school girlfriend came to him telling him she was pregnant, and she was going to get an abortion. Nathan begged her not to. Before the baby even came, she decided she wanted nothing to do with their child, and signed papers relinquishing all parental rights upon Maddie's birth. She left the hospital right after birth, against medical advice. Two years later, she showed up on Nathan's doorstep, pregnant again. She told Nathan she was keeping this baby and marrying the father. She wanted Nathan to promise never to contact her regarding Maddie. Nathan agreed with one stipulation—sign papers a second time relinquishing all parental rights so that she couldn't blame the first signature on post-partum depression. Nathan had been raising Maddie ever since, with lots of help from his parents. Most surprisingly—his father had taken to Maddie immediately.

Lucas – Junior year of high school, Lucas fell in love with and married Sara. At the end of their senior year, Sara gave birth to their first child, Laney. When Laney was just six months old, Sara was in a car accident and died on impact. Lucas had been raising Laney ever since with much help from his mother, Karen. And even more surprisingly, his biological father, Dan Scott had taken to his daughter immediately. His relationship with Dan had improved drastically with the arrival of his own child.

_OK, so sorry. That was a lot of background information to get you up to speed. Not so quick, after all. Enjoy!_

888

Haley James was working at the campus daycare, her workstudy job, when her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She pulled out the phone and read her text message. "My class for tomorrow afternoon was cancelled. That's great! Now I won't have to turn in my paper and I'll have the whole weekend to revise it!"

" That's great, Haley. I know how much you love to study," Diana said, laughing. Diana was the head of the daycare and Haley absolutely loved her. Her favorite thing about Diana was her passion for the children she took care of. Diana had been doing this for years, and still treated every child as if they were the first ones to ever walk through the doors of the daycare.

" I can't help it if I'm a bookworm," Haley said. "Better a bookworm than…some other things!"

" What are the chances that you'd be willing to stay late tomorrow?" Diana asked. "I have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon, so Cheryl's going to be here alone. It would really help us out."

"Sure. I can do that," Haley agreed. She loved her job, and any extra time spent there was a luxury for her. Plus, she was saving money for a new laptop, so the extra money would come in handy.

888

The next afternoon, Nathan Scott walked into the campus daycare to pick up his daughter. "Hello?" he called when he didn't see anyone in the entryway of the building. Usually Maddie had already run into the room and was waiting for him.

He heard Maddie taking and walked into the next room, which was the kitchen. Maddie was sitting at the kitchen table watching a young blonde woman put make up on. She looked up and saw her father standing there. "Daddy!" she squealed when she saw him. She ran over to him and jumped into his waiting arms.

"Hi, honey," he said to her.

"Hi, Daddy," she said. "I was helping Haley with her make up. She let me put some lipgloss on. See?"

The young blonde walked over to Nathan and Maddie. "Hi. I'm Haley James," she said putting out her hand for him to shake.

Nathan shifted Maddie to his left arm. "It's nice to meet you," he said, taking her hand and shaking it. _"Uh-oh,__" _ he immediately thought. _"Electricity."_ He didn't like that one bit. Nathan was really trying hard to concentrate all of his time on his daughter, school, and basketball for right now. He wanted to do everything he could to ensure that his daughter want for nothing in the future, and he knew that it was either his schooling or his possible future in the NBA that was going to make that happen. "I'm Nathan Scott. Maddie's dad."

"Daddy, look," Maddie said, closing her eyes. "I have some mascara on, too. Haley says I look beautiful.

"She's right, you _do_ look beautiful," he assured her. He put her down and kneeled so that he was face to face with her. "Can you go and get your coat on so we can go?" he asked her.

"Yep!" she said, skipping off to get her coat.

Nathan stood back up and looked down at Haley. "I've heard a lot about you from my daughter, and I'm really glad she likes you," he told her, "but my daughter is 4,_not _14I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't put any make up on her in the future. That's something her mother would do for her."

"I…I'm sorry, Mr. Scott," she stammered. "I…I know that Maddie's mom passed away and I—"

"You don't know anything about us," Nathan told her abruptly. He went into the entryway to get Maddie and they left.

Later that night, after getting groceries, the guys are in the kitchen. Friday nights were their free nights, as their parents each took their daughter for the night. Nathan is standing back to the kitchen counter leaning against it, eating Dorito's. Jake is at the kitchen table balancing his checkbook, and Lucas is on dish duty. "Maybe I'll just go to my mom's house for the night. I could spend the night with Maddie."

"Dude, we are just watching movies," Luke told him.

"Yeah, with Peyton and Brooke," Nathan said. "I don't want to be a fifth wheel."

"Just stay for the movie," Jake said not looking up. "Hey, did you know that Brooke calls me hot Jake?" Lucas threw a dirty look over his shoulder at Jake and Jake glanced up just in time to see it. "Well, I mean—that's what Peyton told me."

"Fine, I'll stay," Nathan said. "But at the first sign of hooking up, I am so out of here."

"Deal," Lucas agreed as Nathan walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He looked at Jake again. "So, Brooke thinks you're hot?"

888

An hour and a half later, Nathan, Jake, and Lucas were in the living room with Peyton and Brooke getting ready to watch the movie when Brooke's cell phone started ringing the Jeopardy theme song. Brooke pulled her phone out of her impossibly small purse and flipped it open. "Hey, Tutor-Girl. What's up?"

Haley sighed. "Brooke, I locked my keys in the apartment again. I'm sorry to bother you, but—"

"It's OK," Brooke told her friend. "Do you have your car keys on you?"

"Yeah."

"Can you come get my apartment keys? I'm only about a five minute drive away."

"That would be great, Brooke." Haley sighed again, this time in relief. "Thanks." After relaying the address, Brooke shut her phone and put it back in her purse.

Lucas cleared his throat. "Your phone rings the Jeopardy theme song?" he asked.

"Only for our other roommate," Brooke explained. "The girl is practically a genius."

"What's my ringtone?" he inquired.

Brooke grinned. "Sexyback." Lucas's grin got even wider. It was then that Nathan decided he would be spending the night at his mom's with Maddie.

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15 minutes later, Nathan had packed a bag and was coming down the stairs when there was a knock on the door. "I got it," he said on his way to the door anyway. He dropped his bag and headed for the kitchen. He opened the door and immediately recognized the young woman on the other side.

"You," Haley said, clearly surprised.

"Me," he agreed. "And you…too."

Haley quickly looked around her. "I'm sorry," she said. "I must have the wrong place."

"Tutor-girl?" he asked, then saw her blush lightly in the porch light. Clearly she wasn't very fond of the nickname.

"That's me."

"Brooke is in here. Follow me." She walked in and he closed the door behind her, then led the way into the living room.

"Hey," Brooke greeted her roommate.

"Hey," Haley responded. "_You_ are a lifesaver, Brooke."

"Well if it isn't Haley James," Lucas said, standing up from the couch.

"Hey, Lucas! How are you? I haven't seen for a few weeks. I thought maybe you dropped off the face of the planet."

Lucas greeted Haley with a hug. "Nope. I'm just lying low. Your roommate," he winked at Brooke and she grinned, "and my daughter keep me plenty busy. So, how are you?"

"Wait a minute," Nathan said, confused. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah. Haley is in my study group for Anatomy and Physiology," Luke informed him.

"I knew I should've taken that with you," Nathan said.

Haley threw him a dirty look over her shoulder, prompting Brooke and Peyton to share a puzzled one of their own.

"We were just gonna pop in a movie, Haley. You wanna stay and watch it with us?"

"No, thanks. It was good to see you again, Lucas, but I have to get going. I have a paper that isn't going to write itself."

"That paper has been done for over a week now! Let it go!" Brooke commanded.

Haley laughed. "OK, honestly," she threw a pointed look at Nathan, "I've had enough of men for one day, thanks."

There was a slight pause as if no one knew quite what to say. Brooke was the one to finally break the silence. "Ooohhh, do tell, tutor girl."

Haley turned her eyes to Brooke. "There's nothing much to tell, Brooke." Another pause. "Keys, please," Haley reminded her. "I still need to get into the apartment."

"Oh, sorry," Brooke said, pulling out her keys and taking her apartment key off the chain. She handed it to Haley. "Whatever you do, do _not_ lose it."

"I won't lose it," Haley assured her. "I might accidentally lock it in the apartment—" Haley stopped teasing at Brooke's glare. "I was kidding! Have a great night, guys. Enjoy your movie." Haley walked back through the kitchen and out the front door. She was walking swiftly to her car when she heard the front door open and close behind her.

"Haley!" she heard Nathan shout.

She rolled her eyes and turned around. "What can I do for you, Mr. Scott?' she asked.

He put his hands in his jeans pockets. _"Damn he looks good in jeans,"_ Haley thought. Mentally shaking herself, she forced her mind to let the thought go.

"First of all, you can call me Nathan," he told her.

She looked at him impatiently, saying nothing.

"I'm sorry about earlier today," he said, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Forget about it."

"I don't think I can," he said honestly, not even knowing where the admission came from.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just—do you want to go and get a coffee with me?" he asked.

Haley looked at him in disbelief. "No, I don't want to go and get coffee with you."

"Look—I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you. What else can I say?" he asked, clearly frustrated.

Haley shook her head. "You can say whatever you want and apologize up and down, but you were an ass to me today."

"I know I was," he said sincerely.

"And actions speak louder than words," she went on as if he hadn't spoken.

"Is that so?" he asked with a lazy grin.

"Yes, that is so! I was just trying—"

She was cut off midsentence by Nathan taking her face in his hands, and then the next second his lips were suddenly on hers. Haley tried not to enjoy the kiss, she really did, but that spark of electricity that she felt when she shook his hand earlier had returned the second his lips touched hers. Just as she started to lean into him, he pulled away. "So, what did that say to you?" he asked.

"Huh?" Haley said, still in shock.

"You said actions speak louder than words," Nathan reminded her. "What did that action say to you?"

Haley stood there a moment, still visibly shaken. "Stay away from me," she told him, ignoring his question, "and I'll stay away from you."

He grinned down at her. "Good-night, Haley James. I hope you have sweet dreams. I know I will." He softly touched her cheek, then turned around, and started walking back towards the beach house.

"Unbelievable," Haley muttered to herself, still standing there.

Nathan, now on the bottom step, turned back around. "Thanks. You're not such a bad kisser yourself." He winked at her and then walked up the steps and in through the front door.

After childishly stomping her foot and groaning, Haley continued to her car.


	2. Chapter 2

"Haley? Haley, wake up," Brooke said, walking into her friend's bedroom.

Haley groaned and turned over to look at the clock. When she saw what time it was, she groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. "Ugh, what do you want, Brooke? It's nine a.m. All _normal_ college students are still asleep."

"Yes, but we are not normal," Brooke said, way to peppy for this early in the morning, Haley thought.

"What do you want, Brooke?" she asked again.

"I want someone to go running with me," Brooke told her.

Haley threw her pillow aside and sat up on her elbows. "Are you kidding?"

Brooke grinned. "Nope."

"Brooke Davis, since when do you run?" Haley asked.

Brooke plopped down onto Haley's bed. "Since hot Jake told Peyton that Lucas takes Laney to the park at 9:30 every Saturday morning right after he picks her up from his mother's house."

"You have way too much information on Lucas. I'm not sure it's even healthy," she told her friend. "Why don't you ask Peyton to go with you? I don't run. I can barely walk," she reminded Brooke.

"Because she's out with hot Jake. And besides, if she gets any skinnier, I'm gonna look fat standing next to her."

Haley sighed. "Brooke, no! I don't run," she said again, lying back down. She pulled her blankets up to her chin.

"Well can you at least power walk?" Brooke pressed.

"Not at nine in the morning."

"Well…lucky for you, I don't wanna leave until nine-fifteen." Brooke stood up from Haley's bed and walked over to her chest of drawers. She started opening and closing them. She finally found what she wanted, and threw a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt on Haley's bed. "There, you don't even have to pick out your own clothes. I did it for you." Brooke grabs Haley's hand and pulls her out of bed. "Go get dressed, tutor girl."

"Brooke—"

"We're out of coffee," Brooke informed her. "But I'll buy you one on the way. Now go throw your hair up and put some make up on."

Haley sighed loudly and got up out of bed, knowing that it was no use fighting Brooke. "I am _not_ putting any make up on," Haley argued. She had to hold her own somewhere in this little escapade. And it looked like this might be her only chance. Besides, she needed coffee.

Brooke looked her up and down, her lip curled up in mock disgust. "Well that's your choice. But just so you know, Lucas is _not _the only single dad on the planet."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to pick up men. I'm going for the cardio."

Brooke grinned. "Lucas _is_ my cardio."

"Ewwwwwww!" Haley exclaimed.

888

As Brooke and Haley power walked their way down the side streets of Tree Hill, Haley couldn't help but grin. "This was a great idea, Brooke," Haley told her.

Brooke scowled. "Are you kidding? My ass is killing me! I don't think I've ever walked this fast. Can we please slow down?"Haley shook her head. "You wanted a power walk, Brooke Davis, and now you've got it. Now aren't you glad I can't run?" she asked, laughing.

"Very funny." Suddenly Brooke sped up. "Oh, look. This must be the park Peyton was talking about. There's Lucas. And…oh, Haley, don't look."

Haley, of course, immediately looked. "Oh, look, he has Maddie with him." Haley squinted as she tried to get a better look at them. She stopped in her tracks. "Brooke! You didn't tell me Nathan was going to be here!"

"Well, it's not like I knew. I wasn't exactly invited. I'm kind of crashing him at the park."

"We have to turn around," Haley said, grabbing Brooke and trying to pull her back the way they came.

"Haley, Lucas just saw us. We can't turn around _now_."

"Well, I can."

"No! You can't! You owe me!" Brooke reminded her friend.

"For what?" Haley asked.

"I…gave you my apartment key last night."

"I could've gotten Peyton's," Haley reasoned.

"But you didn't," Brooke told her. "You used mine. Now come on." She started dragging Haley towards Lucas, Nathan, and their girls. Haley reluctantly gave in.

"Hey, pretty girl," Lucas greeted Brooke when he saw her. He kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey, yourself," she said. She looked at the little blond girl standing next to Lucas, almost behind him as if she were very shy. Brooke leaned down to her level. "And you must be Laney," Brooke said. The little girl put a finger in her mouth and nodded her head yes. "Your daddy has told me so much about you," she told her.

"You're pretty," Laney told Brooke. "You look just like my Barbie doll."

Brooke grinned. "Well, thank you. I always liked Barbie." Laney gave Brooke a big smile.

888

"Hey, Haley," Nathan said. "How are you?"

Haley cleared her throat. "I'm fine. And I will be as long as you leave me alone and refrain from accosting me again."

"Me?" Nathan said with feigned innocence. "You're the one who tracked me down at the park."

"For your information, Brooke is stalking Lucas and I was just along for the cardio!" she informed him. _Uh-oh_, she thought. _That may have been too much information_. " Hey. Maddie!" Haley said, walking towards the swings where Nathan's daughter was.

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Lucas stood there watching Brooke and she and Haley walked away. He was admiring the sway of her hips when Nathan broke him out of his thoughts.

"She paid more attention to Maddie than she did to me," he said.

Lucas grinned. "Are you jealous of your own daughter, little brother?"

Nathan ignored Luke's question. "She is so irritating."

"Well can you blame her?" Lucas asked, ignoring his brother's statement right back.

Nathan finally tore his gaze away from Haley's retreating form to look at Lucas "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well you weren't very nice to her when you picked Maddie up from daycare," Lucas said matter of factly.

"How the hell do you know about that?"

"Daddy, don't say hell!" Maddie scolded her father.

"Sorry, Mads."

"She told Brooke," Lucas told him.

"And Brooke told you?"

"Well…yeah."

Nathan sighed and shook his head. "I should've known _that_ would get out."

"Dude, if you didn't want it to get out, then you shouldn't have treated her like that."

"I didn't know her then," Nathan defended himself.

"And you do now?" Lucas interrogated.

"Well, I know her _better_."

"Haley's a good girl, Nathan," Lucas said sincerely.

"Are you warning me away from her?"

"No," Lucas told him. "I'm just telling you that she deserves better than you've treated her so far."

_Like I didn't already know that, _Nathan thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks went by, and much to Nathan's dismay, he hadn't run into Haley even once. He'd made it a point to pick Maddie up from daycare on Tuesday afternoon's, the afternoon he originally ran into Haley, but either that wasn't her shift, or she was very skilled at avoiding him. It was now Thursday afternoon, Nathan's least favorite day of the week, because had had classes from 8 in the morning until four in the afternoon, and then practice from 6 to 8, so he didn't get to spend much time with Maddie. They had just walked into the beachhouse and Nathan threw his bag on the floor by the door and picked Maddie up. "OK, Mads, we have only half an hour to spend together before I have to make you some supper. Grammie will pick you up after supper to watch you while I'm at practice. So, we get to do whatever you want. What do you want to do?"

Fifteen minutes later, Nathan was sitting at the little table in Maddies room with three strings of pink metallic pearls around his neck and a tiara on his head. He was holding a plastic tea cup in his hand. Maddie sighed. "Daddy, I really wish you wouldn't sit like a boy when we have tea parties," she told him.

"Mads, I _am_ a boy," he reminded her.

She got up, walked around the table, put her hands on his legs and put his knees together. "I know you are, Daddy, but I'm trying to pretend that I'm having tea with a real live princess. And princesses wear dresses. You can't sit like that in a dress, Daddy."

"But I'm not wearing a dress," he told her as she sat back down in her chair.

Maddie sighed again. "I know. Maybe if you were, you wouldn't be sitting like that," she said seriously. "I think Grammie might have some dresses that would fit you."

Nathan put his tea cup down, leaned his elbows on the table and put his face close to his daughters. "Honey, I love you, and I'd do most anything for you, but I will not put on a dress for you."

"Uncle Jake put one on for Jenny," she informed him, as if that was the end of the discussion.

"Yes, but Uncle Jake is crazy."

"He's _not_ crazy, Daddy."

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Nathan and Maddie were sitting at the kitchen table eating supper when the phone rang. Nathan got up from the table to grab the cordless handing in it's base on the wall. "Hello?" he said, returning to the table to sit back down.

"Nathan, it's mom.""Oh, hey, Mom. " He looked at the clock and realized he would have to leave in about fifteen minutes to make it to practice on time. "Are you on your way?"

"I'm sorry, Nathan," she told him. "But something came up and I'm not going to be able to take Maddie while you're at practice.""Mom, are you kidding? If I miss this practice, I won't be able to play in the game on Saturday."

"I'm really sorry, Nathan," but I have to have an emergency meeting with a client."

Nathan sighed. "All-right, Mom, thanks for calling." He turned the phone off and put it on the table.

"Daddy, can I be done?" Maddie asked. He looked at her plate and she'd eaten all of her vegetables, and most of her chicken and brown rice.

"Sure. Just don't forget to take care of your plate."

Nathan stood up to take care of his own plate, too. He didn't have anyone to watch Maddie. He sighed again, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to have to miss Saturday's game. Unless he could find someone he trusted who could watch Maddie. And that wasn't likely.

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Haley was sitting on the couch studying when her cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number on her caller ID, but she answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Hey, Haley. This is Nathan Scott, Maddie's dad. I am really sorry to bother you, but I wasn't sure who else to call," Nathan said in full on panic.

"Oh, hey, Nathan," she said, clearly surprised. "What's up?"

"I have practice in ten minutes and my mom had something come up, so she can't watch Maddie. I was wondering if—"

"Sure, I'll watch her," Haley said. "I'll be right over." She was doing this strictly for Maddie, she thought to herself. _Not_ as a way to see Nathan again. Well, maybe a little, she conceded.

"Thanks so much, Haley." With that, he hung up.

Haley dressed her feet quickly, grabbed a light jacket, and was out the door in no time.

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Before she even had a chance to knock, the kitchen door flew open and Nathan was standing there in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts. "Sorry, I'm running a little late," he told her.

"That's OK," she told him, forcing herself to look at his face and not his fabulously fit abs.

"Thanks so much, Haley. I didn't have anyone else to call. I've never left Maddie with anyone but my parents and the daycare, so my options are pretty limited."

"It's fine."

"So, we already had supper, but she might want a snack in a little bit and that's fine. A piece of fruit is OK. Maddie's usually in bed by 8, but if she won't go down for you, it's OK. I'll put her down when I get home. I should be home by at 8:30 at the latest."

"OK," Haley said, "have a good practice."

Just then Maddie walked into the kitchen. "Daddy, I—Haley! What are you doing here?"

Nathan squatted down so he was at eye level with his daughter. "I asked Haley to babysit you while I'm at basketball practice. Is that OK?" he asked her.

Maddie squealed, causing Nathan to smile and laugh. "Yes! I love Haley!" she exclaimed.

Haley laughed and picked Maddie up. "Say good-bye to your daddy, Maddie, or he's gonna be late for practice."

Maddie leaned over and put her little hands on Nathan's cheeks. "Bye, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mads," he told her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Be a good girl for Haley."

Nathan raced around the apartment until he'd found his shirt, socks, and sneakers, and then left for practice.

888

It was 9:45, and Nathan still wasn't home. Haley was pacing from one end of the kitchen to the other. He was over an hour late. "He'd better hope he's injured," Haley muttered to herself.

Finally, the kitchen door flew open and Nathan came running in. "I am so sorry," he said, out of breath.

"Oh, good, you're alive," Haley said heatedly. She grabbed her coat off the back of one of the kitchen chairs and slipped it on. She started for the front door. Nathan gently took her arm.

"Haley, I'm sorry. I was late to practice, so coach made us all stay after to run some suicides," he explained.

"And you couldn't have called?" she asked.

"Yeah, I could have. For another half an hour of suicides."

"Oh," Haley said in a small voice.

She looked up at Nathan and he was looking down at her, grinning. She looked down at herself to see if she had anything on her clothes. "What are you looking at?" she asked.

Nathan nodded towards her head. "You look pretty cute in Maddie's tiara," he told her.

She quickly removed it and placed it on the kitchen table. "We were having a tea party and I forgot that I even had it on. Maddie was pretending I was a princess."

"Yeah, she doesn't think I make a very good princess," Nathan informed Haley. "I bet you did, though."

Haley coughed nervously and took a step back. "Umm…thanks for calling me to watch Maddie. I'm glad I could help you out."

"No, Haley, thank _you. _I don't know what I would've done without you—"

"Bye, Nathan…bye," Haley said quickly and then walked out the door and rushed to her car.

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When Haley walked into the apartment, Brooke looked up from her sketch pad and smiled at her. "Hey, tutor-girl. Where ya been?"

"Babysitting," Haley told her.

"Babysitting who?" Brooke asked.

Haley took off her coat and hung it up on a hook by the door. "Maddie, Nathan Scott's little girl."

"Really?" Brooke said, suddenly interested. "How did that happen?" She leaned forward and put her sketch pad on the coffee table.

Haley sat down next to her. "I don't know. Something came up with his mom and he didn't have anyone to watch Maddie, so he called me." Haley got a puzzled look on her face.

"What?" Brooke inquired.

"I wonder how he got my number," Haley thought out loud.

"Oh, I gave it to him," Brooke told her.

"Why?"

"He asked me for it."

"Once again, why?" Haley asked.

"Once again, he asked me for it," Brooke said.

Haley shook her head. "Anyway, it's a good thing I was home. There's no telling who he would have left Maddie with if I hadn't been."

"Haley, Nathan is not like that. He's a great dad. He would've skipped practice and let himself get benched for the next game before he'd leave Maddie with someone he didn't know. You should be flattered that he even asked you. Where is all of this hostility coming from?" Brooke questioned.

"What hostility?" Haley said irritatedly, realizing too late that she had gotten too defensive too quickly.

"This isn't like you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She stood up. "I have to go work on my paper."

"Haley," Brooke groaned, "would you let it go? It's been done for two weeks now! You've revised it seventeen times! You're gonna get an A!"

"Here's hoping!" Haley yelled from her room. Brooke heard her bedroom door close just as the front door opened. Peyton walked in.

"Hey, P. Sawyer. Where have _you _been?"

Peyton grinned. "The record store."

"Ooohh, what new album did you get?"

Peyton grinned and pulled her new record out of a plastic bag. Brooke gasped and jumped off the couch, practically tackling Petyon at the front door. She grabbed the record from her best friend and hugged it to herself. "You got the new Nobody's Bitch album?" Brooke shrieked.

"That's right," Petyon said. "All punk, and all girl!"

Brooke handed the album ever so gently back to Peyton. "Nice! I'm gonna go put my jammies on. Meet me back here in 5?"

"I'm on it."

Brooke and Peyton disappeared into their rooms to get into their pjs. Peyton came out first in black shorts and a hot pink tank top and put the record on. Before long, Brooke came out in princess pj bottoms and a light pink tank top.

"Oh, I love this song!" Brooke exclaimed, joining Peyton in singing along with the lyrics. The girls heard Haley's bedroom door hit the wall in the hallway as she flung it open and ran out into the living room in her little nighty that came to mid-thigh. "I forgot that this came out today!" she exclaimed, instantly joining in the singing.

_He called me today for the tenth time, said I won't ever do it again_

_I said Damn right, cause you're outta my life_

_And just to make sure he knew, I said_

_I…ain't…no…bodys…BITCH!!_

After singing the song through three or four times, the girls finally collapsed onto the couch in a fit of giggles.


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't really want to go," Haley told Brooke. "It's a basketball game. I'm so not into basketball."

"I know that," Brooke said. "But I also know what you _are_ into, and that's Nathan."

"Brooke, I am not into Nathan. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."

"You can tell me that all you want, but you're not the only one with a brain, Tutor-girl. I happen to have one of those myself. It's just not as sleek a model as yours is," Brooke explained.

"I just—I don't want to spend a Saturday night at a basketball game when I could be studying." Haley was lying through her teeth. Every part of her was itching to see what Nathan Scott was like on that basketball court even though she would never admit it. But she had to at least _pretend_ to not want to go. She'd eventually give in, but not until after she had Brooke convinced that she wasn't into Nathan.

"Haley—you will never convince me that you are not into Nathan," Brooke said as if reading her thoughts. Haley visibly flinched and Brooke grinned. "I know you want him, and you know you want him. I even think that _he _knows you want him. So go get your butt dressed and hurry up about it. We only have an hour until game time."

"Brooke, you and Peyton are going to be on the sidelines in your cute little cheerleader uniforms with your cute little pom poms. Where am I going to be?"

"Hey, say the word and you are so on the squad."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I don't want to go and sit alone."

"If you leave and come early with me and Peyton, we'll get you a seat close to where we are."

Haley sighed. "I'll go. But it has nothing to do with Nathan Scott, and everything to do with school pride."

Brooke laughed. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

Haley gave Brooke a dirty look before going to her room to change. She pulled on a pair of low rise blue jeans and an emerald green long sleeve t shirt with a brown corduroy blazer over it. She wanted to be prepared in case it was cold when the game let out.

888

Nathan Scott was running towards the basket to do a lay-up during warm-ups before the game. His shot went in, of course. Nathan didn't doubt for a second that it would. He ran to the back of the line to wait for his turn again. Lucas, who was in front of him turned around. "Did you see who was here?"

Nathan shook his head. "Nope. I don't care if Dad comes to the games anymore, Lucas. He's trying to change, and for now, that's enough for me."

"Do you really think I'd bother to tell you if Dan was here? That wouldn't be news. Now, if Miss Haley James was gracing us with her presence and sitting right behind our bench, _that_ would be news," Lucas told him.

Nathan's head whipped around, and sure enough, Haley was sitting on the bleachers right behind their teams' bench. She was watching the guys from the other team shoot their lay-ups. Her gaze wandered over to him, and they briefly made eye contact. Nathan picked up his hand and waved to her, then felt something hit his med-section.

"Hey," Lucas said, just finishing his lay-up. "Keep your head in the game."

Nathan bent over and picked up the basketball that Lucas had thrown at him. He did his next lay-up and when he turned to run to the back of the line, he looked at Haley again. She was laughing at him. _Damn,_ he thought._ Lucas is right. I gotta keep my head in the game._

"OK, gentlemen, let's bring it in," their coach said loudly, just after the buzzer sounded to let them know that the game was about to begin. The guys all started running in toward their bench.

Nathan hopped over the bench so he was standing right in front of Haley. "Hey, Haley."

Haley pursed her lips and looked Nathan up and down. "Nathan."

"Glad you could make it."

"Thanks."

"I need a good luck charm," he told her.

"If you think for one second that I'm going to let you kiss me again, you are sorely mistaken," she informed him.

"That's not what I meant," he told her leaning in and reaching around to the nape of her neck. He gently tugged her elastic down and loosened her hair. "This will do," he said, as he put the elastic in one of his socks. But it sure is nice to know that you're thinking about kissing me again." With a wink, he turned around and made his way over to his teams huddle.

888

Haley didn't know much about basketball, but she knew enough to know that Nathan was on fire. He was sinking shots left and right. If he wasn't putting the ball into the hoop, he was handing it off the guy who could. Clearly he was in his element. He knew every inch of that court. The other team called a time out, and the Tree Hill University Bulldogs jogged in toward their own bench. "This is what I like to see!" their coach told them. "I haven't seen you guys play like this in a long time. You're playing like a team out there, and it's paying off! Get out there and get it done! Let's end the first half with a bang, boys!" The guys started jogging back on the floor. "Nathan!" the coach yelled.

Nathan turned around. "Yeah, coach?"

"Whatever it is that has you playing like this, keep it going."

Nathan grinned. "Absolutely, Coach." Haley, who had heard the entire exchange, being that Peyton and Brooke had placed her behind the home team's bench, quite on purpose, she was fairly certain, lifted her eyes once again to Nathan's. After winking at her, he turned and ran back onto the court.

"Nathan Scott is playing like a man possessed! I haven't witnessed a game like this since he helped to bring the state championship home to the Raven's when he was in high school! Whatever has Nathan on this role, I say keep it up!" Haley heard a guy with spiky hair say. He was talking into what looked like a little microphone and he was sitting at a table between the opposing teams. Suddenly, the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the first half and the guys all jogged off the court and into the locker rooms. Haley watched as the cheerleading squad took the floor. The lights dimmed and a music mix that Haley didn't recognize could be heard throughout the entire gymnasium. After a quite risqué dance combination, the lights came up and the cheerleaders started dispersing. Brooke headed for Haley and Peyton headed for the spike guy at the table.

"Hey, Tutor-girl," Brooke said, out of breath.

"Hey. So, right behind home team, huh?"

Brooke grinned and shrugged. "I wanted you to get the full experience. Who knows how hard I'll have to work to get you back here again? Or if I'll even be able to."

888

"Mouth McFadden," Peyton said as she walked up to the scorekeeper's table.

Mouth smiled and shook his head as he stood up. "Well, if it isn't Peyton Sawyer. When did you get back into town?" he asked, embracing her in a hug.

She squeezed him back. "I've been back since the end of last semester. When did you get back?"

"I spent the summer in Italy with friends from school," he told her. "When the end of the year came, I just didn't want to go back to Colorado. I wanted to come home. So I enrolled here."

Peyton laughed. "I hear yak, Mouth. Here I thought I had this big city girl in me just bursting to get out, but when I got to LA, it wasn't at all what I wanted. It took me two years to figure out why I was so unhappy."

"Well, at least now we have home court advantage," he joked. "Do you think that gives us a better chance at succeeding?" he asked her.

Peyton slowly nodded. "You know what, Mouth? I think it does."

888

The game was over, and the Tree Hill Bulldogs had won. Nathan had scored an astonishing amount of points, not to mention his assists. Haley was pretty sure the other guys had done a great job, too, but she hadn't paid nearly as close attention to them. She had really enjoyed watching Nathan play basketball, especially since he was too busy playing to notice her watching him. She sighed softly. _I am in so much trouble, _she thought to herself. There was no use denying to her that she wanted him. She was fully aware of that now. But that didn't mean that she was happy about it. She'd left Maine because of the her last boyfriend, and even though it had been close to a year since they'd broken up and she was definitely over him, it didn't mean that she was in a rush to get involved again. Not that Nathan was even interested in getting involved. For all she knew, he was just looking for a little action. _Oh, my God, _Haley thought. _I even ramble in my head while I'm thinking!_ Haley shook her head to clear it of all her thoughts, and sat back down on the bench to relax. She wished Peyton and Brooke would hurry up.

888

Later that night, the girls were sitting at the kitchen table, with an open carton of Maple Walnut ice cream sitting in the middle. They each had their own spoon and were taking turns digging into the carton. "So, wait a minute," Haley said. "You've dated Lucas, you've dated Nathan, and now you're dating Jake?"

Peyton laughed as she put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. "You make it sound so dirty, Hales."

"Well, isn't it?" she asked.

"It's not like that," Peyton told her.

"How is it?"

Peyton sighed. "Well, it wasn't my idea to date Lucas."

"Whose idea was it?" Haley pressed.

"Nathan lost me in a bet…to Lucas." Peyton shrugged. "So I started dating Lucas."

"You dirty girl!" Brooke said proudly.

Peyton grinned. "A little."

"I've never been more proud of you, P. Sawyer."

"Awww…thanks, B. Davis."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I didn't realize that this circle was so incestuous."

"Ewww! Haley!" Peyton exclaimed.

"Well, it is!" Haley said again. "I mean, my God, Peyton, you've banged all three of them."

Peyton's eyes flew to Haley's. "Nice, Haley!" Peyton said, clearly fuming. She stood up, threw her spoon in the sink and went to her bedroom.

"OK. What the _hell _was that?" Brooke asked.

Haley sighed. "That was me being a jealous bitch."

"Well—you're good at it. I've never seen you be a jealous bitch before."

"That's because I've never been one before," Haley told her.

"Well, you've got it down," Brooke said with just a hint of admiration.

Haley sighed again and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Brooke asked.

"To mend a fence," Haley said. Haley walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to Peyton's bedroom door. She knocked softly.

"If it's Brooke, come in," she heard Peyton say.

"It's Haley." Peyton didn't answer so Haley just walked in. "I'm sorry," she said, shutting the door behind her.

"You know, we all have pasts, Haley. And I didn't even plan on coming back to Tree Hill."

"Why did you?" Haley questioned, not facetiously, but with genuine curiosity. She sat down on the Peyton's bed next to her.

Peyton shrugged. "Because it's my home. And it wasn't that important to me while I was here before, but it's important to me now. And I'm sorry, Haley, if my past offends you in any way, but believe me when I say that I never planned on living with Lucas' or Nathan's girlfriends."

"No," Haley said quickly. "Don't apologize. I…was acting…"

"Possessive?" Peyton supplied.

Haley nodded. "Maybe a little, yeah. Which is stupid, right? Because I'm not even dating him."

"Why aren't you dating him again?" Peyton asked.

"Because," Haley tried to defend herself, "he's…cocky…and arrogant…and so full of himself."

"You do realize that you're being redundant, right? I mean—all of those are the same thing," Peyton said, amused.

"Yeah, I'm a little at a loss for words here. Bear with me. This is a first."

"The arrogance isn't real, you know," Peyton informed Haley.

"Of course it is," Haley disagreed.

"No, it's not." Peyton sighed. "Nathan isn't who he is _because_ of his past. He's who he is in _spite_ of it. Nathan's father was a jackass, Haley. Nothing that Nathan ever did was good enough for Dan. He always fell short. If Nathan scored 30 points in a game, Dan wanted to know why it wasn't 35."

"Nathan scored 35 points in a single game?" Haley asked, amazed.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure, Haley. I was trying to give you an example."

"Oh, sorry," Haley said.

"Nathan's not as arrogant as you think he is," Peyton continued. "He's actually a little insecure. He knows he's _good_ on the basketball court, but he doesn't think he's good enough."

"That's crazy! Nathan is amazing on the court," she immediately jumped to his defense. She wasn't sure who she was defending him to, since Peyton was already on his side.

"But even more important, he's amazing _off _it. Maddie is…living proof of that. He's so great with her."

"He _is_ a great dad," Haley agreed.

"Give him a chance, Haley. I don't think you'll regret it."

"Are we all friends again?" they heard Brooke yell through the door.

Peyton laughed. "Affirmative, B. Davis."

The door flew open and Brooke ran for the bed, jumped on it, and crawled up between Haley and Peyton. She cocked an eyebrow at Peyton. "So, have you and hot Jake christened this bed yet?" Brooke asked.

Peyton laughed. "Not yet. But…something big _did_ happen with us last night," she said cautiously. "I gave him a key to the apartment."

"Without asking _us_?" Brooke said. Haley hit her on the arm. "Oww! You are freakishly strong!"

"Well, it's not like he's gonna use it at his leisure. I'm sure he'll call first."

"Well, I for one am very proud of you, Peyton. This is a huge step for you."

"I know, I've never given a guy the key to my place before."

"_Our_ place," Brooke clarified, slightly miffed.

Haley immediately changed the subject and they indulged in more girl talk until they all fell asleep in Peyton's bed.

888

The next morning, as the girls were fast asleep, Peyton woke up to the feel of someone staring at her. She opened her eyes and almost fell of the bed. She gasped, startled, and sat up none too gracefully, elbowing Brooke in the process. Three sets of eyes were staring at her from her bedroom doorway. "Hey, Peyton," Jake said. Lucas and Nathan were standing next to him grinning.

"Peyton, who is—"Brooke never finished her sentence. As she rolled over and onto her back, she caught sight of the guys in the doorway. She quickly sat up. "What the hell?" Her eyes left the guys in the doorway and flew to Peyton's. She laughed. "Haley is gonna kill you."

Haley, still lying down, started rubbing her eyes, completely unaware of what was going on. "You guys, what's with all the noise?" She sat up and followed Brooke's gaze to the doorway. Her eyes widened. Peyton and Brooke both looked at her, not sure if they should speak.

Luke was the one to break the silence. "You guys wanna move in with us? We have an extra room. You guys could share it. And…we…could watch."

Haley jumped up from the bed and tugged her suddenly even shorter nighty down as far as it would go, then stalked to the door. She stopped at Lucas, who was holding a cardboard tray with three Styrofoam coffee cups and pulled one out. "Umm…that one is actually—" he stopped at her glare, "yours. _That_ one is yours," he told her. "Enjoy."

Haley looked at Jake. "We want our key back!" she snapped. She started walking furiously to her room.

"Nice legs, James," Nathan called out.

Haley rolled her eyes and kept walking. "In your dreams, Scott."

"I've been enjoying _every_ second of them lately."

She kept walking. Nathan, grinning widely, turned back to the guys. They were scowling at him. "What?" he asked, his expression immediately disappearing.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Jake accused.


	5. Chapter 5

_Before I get started on this chapter, I just wanted to say thanks so much to you guys! Your reviews have blown me away! This is my first fanfic ever and I have to say— it's fun to write! Thanks especially for the reviews of the last chapter. I was so undecided on whether or not to post it. I think it's my least favorite out of all of them so far, so I was a little nervous that it wouldn't be received well._

_To the person who wants to see more Brucas—I'm working on it. For now, here's a glimpse into Lucas' private l life. Enjoy!_

_P.S. This one is a little more serious than my other chapters. But I really think Lucas needs to be seen in this light to be properly understood._

Lucas watched as his daughter climbed down off her chair and walked her plate over to the sink. "Daddy, can I please go play with Lily now?"

"You sure can. But first—what's the rule?"

His four year old daughter rolled her eyes. "I'm not allowed to leave the room without kissing you first," she said in a very robotic voice.

Karen turned around from the kitchen sink where she was washing the supper dishes and grinned at the exchange between her son and her granddaughter.

"That's my girl," Lucas said as his daughter hurried over to him and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. She turned around and ran at top speed for the playroom. Lucas turned in his seat so he was facing towards Karen and Keith at the sink. His step-father was drying the dishes. "So, how's school going?" Keith asked.

"It's going pretty good," Lucas told them.

"Good. So your scholarship isn't in any danger, then."

Lucas laughed. "Mom, you worry too much. My scholarship has never been in danger of being taken away. It was a 76, and it was once."

Karen sighed. "I know. I'd just never seen one of those from you before, so I _was_ a little worried."

"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I was at the emergency room with Laney because she had croup. We were there most of the night and I was exhausted the next day. I wasn't prepared for the pop quiz."

"I know."

"So…" Lucas said, trying to change the subject, "I met someone."

Karen squeezed the glass that she was holding in her hand so hard, that it broke. "Dammitt!" she exclaimed.

Lucas jumped up, but Keith motioned for him to sit back down. "I'll take care of it," he told Lucas. Keith started gently drying his wife's hand with his dish towel. Then he got the first aid kit out from underneath the kitchen sink and went to work on her hand. "You'll have to excuse your mother," Keith said. "The last time you told us you met someone, you ended up married to her."

"Ended up?" Karen said. "He was already married to her by the time we met her! Let me see your left hand."Lucas laughed. "Mom—"

"Now, Lucas!"

Lucas shook his head and lifted up his left hand.

Karen sighed. "So you're not married?"

"No, Mom, I'm not married. I already told you that the next time I get married, if I _do_ decide to get married again, it's going to be different."

Karen nodded her head. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I overreacted."

"It's OK, Mom. I can't really expect you to react normally after all of the stunts I've pulled in the past. Especially the marriage one."

Karen laughed. "Thanks for the pardon."

"Go sit down," Keith told his wife, who was now all taken care of. "I'll finish this. You go catch up with Lucas." Karen grinned at her husband and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Thank-you." She went to the table and sat down across from Lucas. "So, what's her name?"

Lucas grinned. "Her name is Brooke. She's amazing, Mom. I think you'd really like her. Laney loves her."

Karen nodded her head knowingly. "You've introduced her to Laney. That's a big step."

"It wasn't exactly planned. We ran into each other at the park."

"Oh, does she have kids, too?"

"No."

"What was she doing at the park?""She was out getting some exercise," Lucas told his mother.

Karen looked her son in the eyes. "I don't mean to change the subject Luke, but are you ready for a relationship right now? I mean—between school and basketball and Laney, you're a pretty busy young man."

"I am. But somehow you always find the time for things you care about, you know?"

Karen nodded again. There was a pause in conversation. "Do you ever think about Sara, Luke?"

Lucas hesitated and then looked down. "Yeah, I think about Sara, Mom. Almost every time I look at Laney."

"Do you still love her?" his mother asked sympathetically.

Lucas looked up into his mother's eyes. He slowly shook his head. "I'm not sure if I ever did."

"What?"Lucas stood up and walked over to the sink, looking out the kitchen window, as if wanting to shield his mother from the conversation to come. "When I think about Sara, Mom, I think about the time when Laney was three months old and had a fever and wouldn't stop crying. I'd given her some Tylenol and a bath in lukewarm water, but it didn't help. Finally I knew that I needed to take her to the emergency room, so I asked Sara to get her diaper bag for me. She said she didn't have time because she had a test the next day. She left the room to go study." Lucas shook his head, remembering that evening. "And I think about one night, when Laney was in her crib crying, and I got up out of bed to go get her—Sara grabbed my arm and accused me of loving Laney more than I loved her. And I think about the time that I was supposed to play in the state championship game, but Sara couldn't be bothered to _babysit_ because she had to cheer." He put air quotes around the word babysit. His biggest pet peeve about Sara had been that she always referred to taking care of their daughter as babysitting.

Karen got up and walked over to Lucas. She put an arm around his waist, and her head on his shoulder. "Oh, Lucas…I didn't know."

"I didn't want you to, Mom."

"Why?"

"Because…she was my wife. And in some odd way, I felt a need to protect her. Even from you." There was a pause and Karen heard Lucas swallow past the lump in his throat. "Are you ashamed of me, Mom?"

"Oh, honey, for what?"

"For choosing that woman to be the mother of my child."

"Lucas, in all fairness, Laney was a bit of a surprise."

"She was, Mom, but I married Sara and I knew I wanted kids someday. I expected to be married to her forever, so I knew she was going to be the mother of my children. And you know what scares me the most?" he asked softly.

"What?"

"Sara was already jealous of Laney and she was only four months old. I wonder how bad it would have gotten. I mean—would she have been in competition with her own daughter over everything? It was like I had married the female equivalent of Dan. Except that Dan, in his own twisted way, had Nathans best interests at heart. Sara only had her own."

"Lucas, you can't blame yourself for that. Everyone changes when they have children. Some for the better and some for worse. But Lucas Scott—you listen to me." She put her hand on his shoulder and gently turned him around so he was now facing her, then placed her other hand on his other shoulder. She looked him in the eyes. "There has never been a day in your life when I haven't been proud of you. There have been times when I've been less than happy, yes, but never ashamed." She paused, collecting her thoughts." Lucas—I look at you, and I see all the best parts of my world. And I see a young man who is an amazing father. Sometimes, Lucas, I look at you with Laney, and I have all I can do not to cry. That little girl is so loved. And it's because of you. Sometimes, I don't even know what I did to deserve you, Lucas."

Lucas lifted his hands and wiped the two teardrops that fell from his mothers eyes.

"You've accused me more than once of putting my life on hold for you. Like when you forced me to go to cooking school in Italy—" Lucas laughed softly and Karen grinned. "And when you made me enroll to take classes at the college. But the truth is I never put my life on hold for you. Once I had you, you _were_ my life. And I was more than OK with that."

Lucas leaned forward and hugged his mother tightly. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Lucas."

888

After getting Laney to sleep and asking his mother to watch her for him, Lucas headed over to the girls apartment to surprise Brooke with a visit. He knocked on the door and heard something crash on the other side, followed by some cursing. About 30 seconds later, the door opened. "Oh, hey, Lucas," Haley said. "Sorry it took me so long to get to the door. I knocked over a vase. Are you looking for Brooke?"

"Yeah, is she here?"

"No, she's actually at the gym. They're having a late cheer practice."

Lucas looked at his watch. "It's quarter of ten."

"Mmm-hmm," Haley agreed, "that's why it's called a _late_ practice."

"Thanks, smarty."

"Do you want to come in and wait for her?" Haley offered.Lucas shook his head. "Actually, I'm going to see if I can catch her when practice ends. Does it get out at 10?"

"Yes, it does."

"Thanks, Haley," he said as he started walking away. Haley was just starting to close the door when Lucas snapped his fingers like he'd forgotten something. He turned back around. "Oh, did you want me to tell Nathan anything for you?" He grinned with mock innocence.

Haley smiled sweetly. "Actually, yeah. Tell him I want my elastic back," she said, then closed the door in Lucas' face.

888

"OK, girls," Brooke said, wrapping up practice. "Same time and place tomorrow night."

"But, Brooke," one of the girls said. "Tomorrow is Saturday."

"So, what? You think that on Saturday's our routine perfects itself? We need to be in tip-top shape for this year's competition. And if that means late night practices every night of the week, the so be it," Brooke said. "And just so the rest of you know any more comments like that, and Nazi Brooke will be paying a visit." She smiled widely. "Have a great night, girls!"

The girls all started leaving the gym and Peyton walked over to her roommate. "Do you think on Saturday's our routine perfects itself?" she mocked her friend.

"Peyton, this is serious stuff. Don't mock me. Do you need a ride home?"Peyton grinned. "Nope. Jake should be waiting for me in the parking lot. Have a great night," Peyton said, skipping out of the gym. "And don't wait up," she called over her shoulder with a wink.

Brooke laughed and shook her head. She walked over to the bleachers to get her bag. She was back to when she heard the gym door open and close. "Jake's not here yet?" she said, turning around, expecting Peyton to be standing there. She wasn't.

"Should I be jealous of Jake?" Lucas asked. "First, you think he's hot, and second, was he supposed to pick you up tonight?"

Brooke laughed. "No. He's picking Peyton up." She started walking towards Lucas. "Hey handsome," she said, when she was nose to nose with him.

"Hey, yourself," he said, slipping an arm around her waist. She leaned in for a kiss, and then pulled away.

She looked into his eyes for a few seconds. "You're broody."

"What?" he asked.

"That wasn't your usual greeting kiss. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he told her.

"I don't believe you," she said.

Lucas sighed. "Would you be upset if I told you that I didn't want to talk about it right now?"

"A little," Brooke told him honestly. "But I'd be more upset if you kept lying to me and telling me that everything is all right."

"I don't want to talk about it right now.""See?" Brooke told him. "I can take that. Now, how about we go to my apartment and make…" she opened her mouth as if she were about to say something exciting, "out."

"You little tease," he said, laughing.

Brooke grabbed his hand and they started walking towards the door. "Please. Ten seconds in my bedroom, and you know you'll have me exactly where you want me."

Lucas grinned. "I like a girl that plays dirty."


	6. Chapter 6

Haley had had just about all she could take of the noise coming from Brooke's room. She pulled her pillow over her head to try and block out the sounds, but it didn't help. After lying there for another ten minutes, she finally threw her covers off and stomped across the hallway to Brooke's bedroom door.

888

Brooke and Lucas were still giggling when her bedroom door flew open. Haley was standing there with one hand over her eyes, and the other in the air with her index finger pointing up. "OK, now you two listen to me." Brooke looked at Lucas with wide eyes and put a hand over her mouth to contain more of her laughter. When Lucas started laughing, her other hand flew up to cover his mouth. "It is 1:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. Now, I know you two are young, and you need to have your fun, but I have a statistics class in the morning, and I have a really important test. If I fall asleep this instant, I can get about five and a half hours of sleep. Unfortunately for you guys, that means you need to zip it!" she commanded angrily.

Brooke cleared her throat. "Hales?"

"Yeah."

"You can…ahh..take your hand away from your eyes."

Haley slowly moved her hand downward and opened her eyes. "Oh," she said, surprised. "You guys still have your clothes on."

"Of course we have our clothes on. We were just talking."

"But, hey, we were just about to get freaky if you want to join us," Lucas offered Haley teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Brooke hit him on the arm. "Lucas!" she said, breaking into laughter yet again.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yes, Lucas, that's just what I want," she said dryly, "to lose my virginity to Brooke Davis. Like enough people haven't already done _that_. Just please try to quiet down," she said, walking away and closing the door behind her.

"Wow. Haley is like a Nazi."

"Oh, she's very serious about her schoolwork," Brooke informed him.

"I know. So," he said, sitting straight up and leaning against the pillows behind him. "What was that last comment about?"

"Oh, yeah…that. Haley's a virgin."

"Well, that's good for her, but I was actually talking about the 'Like enough people haven't already done that comment.' What did that mean?" he pressed.

Brooke chewed the inside of her lip. "Would you be upset if I said I didn't want to talk about that now? Or ever?"

"Brooke---"She put a hand on his arm. "My past isn't a place that I like to visit very often. I've done things that I'm not proud of. Things that I wish I could take back. But I can't. And I figure, if I can't change my past, then why revisit it?" Lucas was silent for a moment. "Are you upset?" she asked.

Lucas smiled and shook his head. He put a hand on her cheek and she leaned into it. "No, I'm not mad. But don't be too hard on yourself, Brooke. Who you were—has made you exactly into who you _are_and while you may not appreciate that, I do."

She smiled at him. "You are about to get so lucky, Lucas Scott," she said, leaning in and putting her arms around his neck. She pulled him down on top of her. He briefly gave into the kiss, and then pulled away. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Lucas looked down at her, brushing a stray piece of her chestnut colored hair away from her face. "I love it when we…do the stuff. But we're not going to tonight."

"Lucas—I just told you--"

He put a finger to her lips. "And I'm telling you—I've already gotten lucky tonight. When I look back and remember this night, I'm going to remember sitting in this room and being in this bed with you, having had one of the best nights of my life. While talking and laughing," he said, as if amazed. "No sex involved." He looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm going to remember tonight…as the night that I fell in love with you."

"Aww…Lucas," she breathed. "I—"

"Don't say it yet," Lucas told her. "Believe me—I want to hear it. But when I do hear it, I want to know it's because you feel it, and not because of something I said to you." He stood up and reached for his jacket at the foot of the bed. "I have to go. I'm spending the night at my mom's so I can have breakfast with Laney in the morning before class."Brooke, still grinning, jumped up off her bed and took his hand. "I'll walk you out."

They walked to the door hand in hand, not saying a word. Lucas leaned down at the front door and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Then he leaned in and rubbed his cheek against hers. "You're amazing, Brooke Davis." He opened the door and walked away, throwing a look over his shoulder at her. He was grinning, too. When she was no longer able to see the tail lights from his car, she closed the door, locked it, leaned her back up against it and stood there, still beaming. She tried to stop smiling just to see if she could.

She couldn't

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Haley woke up the next morning to wonderful smells from the kitchen. Figuring that Peyton got up early for breakfast before class, Haley walked into the kitchen yawning. The table was set with a plate and toast, and a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee. Brooke was standing back to Haley, scrambling eggs at the stove, humming all the while.

"Brooke?" Haley said, confused. "What are you doing up? And cooking?"

Brooke turned around with a huge smile on her face. "I just wanted to do something nice for you. I did, after all, keep you up late last night. By the way, sorry about that." She motioned to the table. "Have a seat. This is for you."

Haley sat down at the table, and it was then that the realization came. She groaned. "Oh. You _did_ have sex last night."

Brooke shook her head as she put the eggs on Haley's plate with a smile. "Nope. Not a bit of sex was had."

"_That's _not true," Peyton said, walking into the kitchen, still wearing her cheerleading uniform and a smile.

"Well, let me clarify. Lucas and I didn't have sex last night."

"Well, Peyton and Jake did!" Peyton said, as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot. She sat down at the kitchen table. After putting the frying pan in the kitchen sink, Brooke sat down, too.

Haley took a bite of her eggs and toast. "Then what's with the smiling and humming?" she directed her question to Brooke.

If possible, Brooke's grin got even wider. She leaned in as if imparting sensitive information. "Lucas told me that he loved me last night," she told the girls.

Haley put her fork down. "Brooke—"

"I know, it's really quick," she said. "But—I've never felt this way before. When I'm with Lucas—it's like I'm exactly the person I want to be. He makes me feel—like I'm OK the way I am."

"Brooke, you _are _OK the way you are. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you're wonderful,"Peyton said.

Brooke blushed at the compliment. "Peyton, please." She argued.

Peyton sighed. "Who took care of me freshmen year in college at UCLA when I had to have my wisdom teeth out?"

"Yeah," Haley chimed in. "And who spoon fed me chicken soup for three days when I was in bed with the flu and couldn't feed myself?" Haley reminded her.

Brooke smiled softly. "Me."

"We're always hardest on ourselves, Brooke. But believe me when I tell you, you are an amazing friend. And person. It's about time you found someone who could see that in you." With that, Peyton stood up. "Well, as much as I hate to, I have to go wash Jake off me and get to class." She left the kitchen with a wink.

"I am so glad she's having sex again!" Brooke exclaimed.

"You're telling me," Haley said, then grinned. "These walls are so thin. I swear, if I had to listen to her 'Brooking' herself even one more time—"

Brooke's mouth fell open. "Haley James!"

Haley just laughed. "Sorry, Brooke. I couldn't resist."

"You know what?" Brooke asked, not waiting for an answer. "I don't even care. You know why?" she asked, again not waiting for an answer. "Because Lucas loves me," she said in a singsong voice, getting up from the table.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey__, guys__! I just wanted to say thanks again for all of your reviews. _

_The following chapter is about the __guy's__ relationship. You've had a peek into the girls, so I wanted you to see what the guy's was like._

His mind still partially on Brooke and her dimpled smile Lucas walked into his mother's house and went into his old bedroom to change into his flannel pajama bottoms. He always kept an extra stash of clothes there for nights when he stayed over. After changing, he pulled down the covers on his bed and then walked upstairs and into his little sister, Lily's room. He walked over to the bed and scooped his sleeping daughter up into his arms. She stirred briefly, but as her favorite place was her father's arms, she quickly settled back down. After his conversation with his mother tonight, Lucas couldn't help but want his daughter close to him. Maybe if he loved her enough, he thought, it would make up for the fact that she didn't have a mother.

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The next morning, Lucas Scott opened his eyes to his daughter sitting next to him on her knees, glaring at him. "Daddy," she started scolding him. "I said wake up three times!"

"I'm awake now," Lucas said, grabbing his daughter and pulling her back against his chest, tickling her belly. She started laughing uncontrollably, and Lucas smiled at hearing his favorite sound. She was squirming like crazy, but she couldn't get away from her father. He kept tickling her. "Daddy! Stop," she pleaded, giggling the entire time.

"I can't stop until you say uncle," he told her.

She tried to sit up but couldn't, so she just looked from one side of the room to the other. "Are Uncle Nathan and Uncle Jake here?" she asked him.

Lucas laughed at his little girl's sense of logic. He stopped tickling her, and turned her over so she was sitting on his belly. "No. Uncle is something you say when you want someone to stop what they're doing and let you go."

"Oh," she said, bored of the subject already. "Daddy? Can we go to the park today?" she asked him.

Lucas shook his head. "Not today, Blue," he told her. "I have class this morning." He turned his head to look at the clock. "I have to get into the shower soon so I can get there on time. But today is Tuesday. Do you know what that means?" he asked her.

She thought for a minute. "Grocery day?" she asked.

"Yes. So after class I'll come back to get you and we'll meet Uncle Jake, Uncle Nathan, and the girls at the grocery store."

"Is it going to be a long time that you won't be here, Daddy?" she asked him, her little mouth pouting unintentionally.

Lucas pulled her down in a hug. "No way. I'm going to get over here as soon as class is over. Then we'll have a few hours together before I have another one."

"Please be fast, Daddy." He didn't doubt for one second that his mother was good to his daughter while she was babysitting, but his daughter was a daddy's girl through and through.

Just like did a thousand times a day since his daughter had come into his life, Lucas' heart melted. "Come on, Blue," he said, standing up. "Let's get you some breakfast." He stood up and walked into the kitchen carrying Laney.

"Wow, what's this?" Lucas asked his mom, who was sitting at the table with his little sister.

"This—is breakfast," his mother told him. "Usually Lily sleeps in, but not this morning. Isn't that right, baby girl?"

"Yes, Mommy," Lily said smiling. "Uncle Lucas, I was up before the sun this morning!" She told him.

He sat his daughter down in one of the chairs and leaned down to give his sister a kiss on the cheek. "You were? I bet that made Mom happy."

Lily giggled. "She said I had to wait for the sun to wake up before I could get out of bed. But I told her it was too late."

Karen ruffled her daughter's hair, then looked at her son. "There are eggs and bacon on the stove. Plenty for you and Laney. Make yourself a plate."

"Thanks, Ma," Lucas said, walking over to the counter and getting two plates, one for him, and one for Laney. After making their plates and pouring them some orange juice, he returned to the table.

"So," Karen asked. "Did you have a good time with Brooke last night?"

"Daddy! You went to visit Brooke last night?" Laney said, clearly chastising her father. "That's not fair! I didn't get to see Brooke!"

Karen laughed at the exchange between her son and his daughter. How her laid back son had gotten such a dramatic daughter, she'd never know.

"Yes, I went to visit Brooke last night. But it was after you were asleep, so you weren't able to go," he told her, and then turned to his mother. "Yeah, we had a good time." He grinned. "I told her I loved her."

Karen put her fork down and cleared her throat. "Lucas, how long have you known Brooke?" Karen questioned.

"A few months," he answered. "But Mom, when you know…you know."

"Like you did with Sara?" she shot back.

"Mom, please don't make me regret telling you those things."

Karen sighed. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I just—you have a daughter, Lucas," she reminded him.

"Who probably shouldn't be hearing this conversation," he said to his mother. "Mom, you have nothing to worry about. I will not bring anyone into Laney's life that isn't fit to be in it."

"Be careful, Lucas," she said softly.

"I love that you worry about us, Mom. I wouldn't have it any other way. But you need to trust me, too," he told her. "I am a father, first and foremost. I know that and I intend to keep it that way."

He stood up and kissed his mother on the cheek. "I have to hop into the shower. Thanks again for watching Laney."

He kissed his daughter once more. "Love you, Blue."

"Love you, Daddy," she told him. Lucas left the room.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll take care of your plate," Karen yelled after him.

"Why does Lucas call you Blue?" Lily asked. "You aren't blue."

"Daddy said that I have the most beautiful blue eyes on the planet, and that's why he calls me that," Laney explained to her aunt, opening her eyes as wide as she could to stress her point.

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"Sorry I'm late," Lucas said, running up to Nathan, Jake and their daughters, carrying Laney in his arms. "My class ran over."

"It's OK. Let's just get this over with," Nathan said. Grocery shopping was the guy's least favorite chore, so they tried to spend as little time as possible in the store. Lucas and Jake grabbed carts and sat Laney and Jenny in them. They limited themselves to two carts for two reasons: number 1, if they had three, they'd buy way too many groceries, and number 2, they wanted to be able to walk up and down the aisles as quickly as possible.

"You look beautiful today, Mads," Lucas told his niece.

"Thank-you, Uncle Lucas." Lucas reached down and tugged on one of her pigtails.

"Lucas, it took me 45 minutes to fix her hair today!" Nathan informed him. "If you touch it again, you're dead."

Maddie giggled. "Daddy, you can't hurt Uncle Lucas. He's way stronger than you are."

Lucas laughed.

"Maddie, I'm your Daddy. You're supposed to think that _I'm _the strongest man on the planet," he told her.

She looked at him confused. "But does that mean that Laney thinks that Uncle Luke is the strongest man on the planet?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said.

"But that means that one of us is wrong," she concluded.

He winked at Maddie. "Trust me, it's Laney."

Lucas laughed. "Just let him win this one, squirt," Lucas told his niece. He looked at Nathan. "So, why do you have your daughter on a leash?" he asked Nathan.

"It's a leash and a harness," he informed Lucas, as they started walking to catch up with Jake, who was moving like a man on a mission. "They're made especially for kids. And after the incident at the park the other day, I don't want to take any chances."

Lucas cleared his throat. "If you hadn't been so busy watching Haley walk away, that never would have happened," he reminded his brother.

"Even though that's true," Nathan said, "my lesson was still learned. And until Maddie's old enough to know better than to go running off like that, I'm going to keep her on a short leash."

They finally caught up to Jake and Jenny in the soda and chip aisle. "Peyton likes Diet Coke," Jake said. "Do you guys think I should get some?" he asked.

"Mmm…I'd rather not have that in the house," Nathan said. "I'd hate for Maddie to accidentally have any aspartame."

Lucas coughed to cover up his laugh. "OK, Papa Bear," he said, still astounded by his brothers over protectiveness, ever after 4 years.

"I just wanna get her into healthy habits _now_," Nathan defended himself; "I don't want her eating all of that junk like I always did."

Lucas gave him an unsympathetic look. "You mean like you still do when she's not around?" he accused.

"Lucas! Sshh!" Nathan demanded, looking at Maddie to make sure her attention was elsewhere.

"Daddy can I get this?" Maddie asked, picking up a box of Fruit Loops as they rounded the corner and entered the cereal aisle.

Nathan took the box from her and put it back on the shelf. "No way," he said. "That has way too much sugar in it. We don't like a lot of sugar, remember?"

"Ac-chew-ally," she said, pronouncing the word carefully, "I do like a lot of sugar. The other day, when I was at school, Haley gave me some sticky worms that had sugar all over them. But she told me not to tell you."

"Then why did you?" he asked her, trying not to grin, and more than a little excited to even hear Haley's name.

"Daddy, don't you remember our first rule?" she quizzed, looking at him expectantly. She stood there, and put her hands on her hips, waiting.

Nathan racked his brain, but came up with nothing. "Umm…I don't remember," he conceded.

She sighed. "Whenever anyone says, don't tell you father about this, I am supposed to tell you as fast as I can," she reminded him.

"Oh, right," he said, nodding his head in agreement. "Well, great job remembering that rule, Mads. I'm proud of you."

"So, can I get the cereal?" she asked. "As a prize for remembering the rule when you didn't?"

Nathan laughed. "Nice try, but how about we get this one, instead?" he asked holding up a box of Raisin Bran.

She looked at it and rolled her eyes. "I guess so."

Just then, a hot blonde walked by and stopped in front of the Special K cereal. The three guys were discreetly checking her out, when Jenny decided to start a conversation with her father. "Daddy!" Jenny fairly yelled. "I forgot to tell you something!"

Jake took his eyes off from the cereal varieties and looked at his daughter, "What, Baby Girl?" he asked.

"You forgot to put the toilet seat down this morning and when I sat down to pee, my butt was really cold!" she told him. "Tomorrow, make sure you put it back down after you pee, OK?"

The woman, who was obviously trying very hard not to laugh, grabbed her Special K off the shelf and practically ran from the aisle.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Peyton, ca n you pass me a wrench?" Jake asked from underneath her car. She randomly picked up a tool from his tool box, not even looking at it and handed it to him. He took it and looked at it. "This is a Phillips head," he informed her.

"Oh, sorry," she said absently. "The only car I ever had to fix was Barbie's corvette, and all I had to do was pop the wheel back on."

He pulled himself out from under the car and looked up at Peyton. "What's on your mind, Peyton? Your head hasn't been here at all today.""Do you think we have too much sex?" she asked him?His eyes twinkled. "Sometimes," he said, caressing her ankle underneath the jeans she had on from where he was on the ground. "But other times I don't think we do it nearly often enough."

She stepped away from him. "Jake, I'm serious."

"So am I," he told her. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. I'm just being…I don't' know."

"Peyton," he said sternly.

"Hey," she laughed. "I'm not Jenny. Don't use that tone with me."

He grinned. "Sorry. Sometimes it's hard to turn off the Daddy switch. Talk to me, Peyton."

She sighed. "It's nothing, Jake. I'm being silly."

Jake stood up in his cover alls and wiped his greasy hands on his legs. "Peyton, I've known you since we were 6 years old. We've been friends that entire time. You think I can't tell when something's bothering you?"

"I just don't want us to be all about sex, Jake," she told him. "That's how it was when I was with Nathan and look how that ended up."

"I know that you're not blaming yourself for that, Peyton. Nathan was a jerk back then. Look—if you think we have too much sex, then we won't have any anymore."

Peyton's eyes got wide. "Ok, that is so not what I am saying," she told him. "I don't want to stop having sex. I just want to make sure we're doing other things, too."

"Like what?" Jake asked.

Peyton shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like we skipped dating all together and went straight for the relationship. We sit at home at night and watch television, and then end up in the bedroom. Or we play cards with Nathan and Lucas, and then we end up in the bedroom. It just seems that whatever we do, we always end up in the bedroom."

Jake grinned. "Peyton, I'm cutting you off."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"No more sex for you," he told her.

"Jake—"

"Peyton, I've been in love with you since I was 15 years old. So if I can't keep my hands off you, it's only because I'm trying to make up for lost time. But it is not all about the sex for me. And it's important to me that you know that."

"Well all you have to do is tell me that," she said. "You don't need to abstain."

"Oh, but I'm going to. For a solid month."

"What?" she squeaked.

"And after that month, I'm gonna knock your socks off, Peyt."

Peyton laughed.

"What are you doing tonight?" Jake asked her.

"I'm not sure."

"How about we go out on our very first date?"

Peyton's eyes lit up. "I love that idea," she agreed, then slapped her forehead. "Dammitt!"

"What?"

Peyton sighed. "Today is Haley's 21st birthday and we're sort of doing this girl's night out thing. No guys allowed. Well—except for the ones that are already at the bar," she told him.

"And tomorrow?" he asked.

"I'm all yours." She grinned.

"You better believe it," Jake said, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Anything more and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep his end of the deal.

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"See that line, Haley?" Brooke asked her friend, referring to Haley's empire waist v-neck top. "It's supposed to be beneath your breasts," Brooke informed her, tugging the shirt down to where it was supposed to be.

"What?!" Haley said in a panic, pulling the shirt back up. "Brooke, no! I—I can't—I have—"

"It's called cleavage," Brooke finished for her.

"Brooke—cleavage and I do not get along very well."

Brooke grinned. "Stick with me and your relationship is bound to improve."

"Wow! Look at little Miss Haley James," Peyton said, walking into Haley's room and flopping down on the bed. "You look hot."

Haley gave her a dirty look. "I do _not_ look hot," Haley disagreed. "I look like a slut."

"A hot slut, none the less," Brooke said. She fixed Haley's shirt one last time, and then walked around her friend, surveying her outfit. Haley was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a peach colored spaghetti strap top with an empire waist. On her feet were a pair of heels that were just a shade darker than her top.

"I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this! I was fine just staying at home with a pint of ice cream and a Grey's Anatomy marathon," she informed them. "But no," she said dramatically. "I have to party it up Brooke Davis style on my birthday."

"That's right, baby!" Peyton said. "And ain't nobody does it like B. Davis."

"Well, thank-you, P. Sawyer," Brooke said. "No one stays home on their 21st birthday, Haley. It's against my law."

"Well, I can tell you right now, that I am not drinking."

"Famous last words of someone who wakes up with a hangover," Peyton said.

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"Do you think Patrick Dempsey is hot?" Lucas asked Nathan and Jake.

"Why would you ask us that?" Jake questioned, tossing his gym bag on the floor by the door. The guys had just gotten home from an intense practice and were exhausted. Their mom's had their daughters for the night, so the plan was to crash early and get some rest for the game tomorrow.

Lucas shrugged, throwing his bag down next to Jake's. "I don't know. Brooke thinks he's hot. I asked her if she wanted to get together last night, and she said she couldn't leave the house on Thursday nights because they all watched Grey's Anatomy together. She even had cheering practice early so she'd be able to watch it."

"What's Grey's Anatomy?" Nathan asked.

"I have absolutely no idea," Lucas said. "If it's not Dora the Explorer or Princess Barbie, I am clueless."

Nathan laughed. "Me, too. Hey, speaking of Brooke, you guys aren't going out tonight?"

"No," Lucas said. "She told me something about a girl's night."

"They went to a bar," Jake told them. "It's Haley's 21st birthday."

Lucas' head whipped around. "Brooke wouldn't go to a bar without me," he said.

Jake laughed. "Well, she would. And she did."

"Where there are other guys?" Lucas asked.

"No," Jake deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "This is an all girl's bar. Of course where there are other guys!"

"I'm not sure I like that," Lucas said.

Nathan looked at his brother. "Are you in the mood for some sleuthing, big brother?"

"You know what?" Lucas said. "I think I am."

Three showers later, and the guys were in Lucas' car looking all around town for Brooke's car. Peyton's was in the garage at Jake's parents while he was working on it, and they figured that the plan was to get Haley intoxicated, so she wouldn't be driving home.

"You know," Lucas started, "there was this girl in high school that used to ride by my house all the time. I kind of thought it was sad. Now I realize she just had a little Nancy Drew in her."

Jake rolled his eyes. "We are hardly the Hardy Boys, Lucas. We're desperate, plain and simple."

"I'm just along for the ride," Nathan said.

Lucas laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure. You want to make sure that the only hands that touch Haley tonight are Brooke's and Peyton's while they carry her into the house."

"You never know. It's a tough world out there for a hot, single woman," Nathan said.

Jake shook his head. "Yeah, because Tree Hill is such a hotbed of criminal activity. There's Brooke's car," he said, pointing to the parking lot of Quarter's, the only bar in Tree Hill. At least the girls had stayed local.

Lucas pulled the car into the parking lot and found a space. The guys just wanted to check on the girls, so they went into the bar, and scanned the room. It was only two rooms, one with three pool tables and the other with a stage at the front of the room and some tables scattered around. The bar was made in a square, so you could get served no matter which section you were in.

The guys immediately spotted Brooke and Peyton at a table and the girls were alone, giggling. "Where's Haley?" Nathan asked. His question was answered as Haley walked up to the table with three beers in her hands. She passed one to Brooke and one to Peyton, and then sat down with her own.

"Well, while we're here, we might as well have a beer," Lucas said. The guys agreed and they found an empty table across the room from the girls in a corner. The room wasn't well lit, so they figured they'd have an easy time not being spotted by the girls.

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_I can't believe I let them talk me into this,_ Haley thought to herself. First one beer, then a second, then a third, and now _this._ She never would've let them talk her into this if she hadn't had those beers. _I am such a lightweight, _she thought.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she heard while she was standing behind the curtain. "Tonight, we want to wish Haley James a happy 21st birthday!" She grinned in spite of herself, a little buzzed and excited.

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The guys watched as Peyton and Brooke stood up, clapping and hooting at the same time. _Now where had Haley gone?_ Nathan thought.

"And now, the birthday girl herself," the man on the stage continued.

Nathans' eyes flew to the stage.

"Here's Haley James singing Tim McGraw's When the Starts Go Blue! Give it up for the birthday girl!"

"Ya gotta love karaoke," Jake said as Haley walked onto the stage.

Nathan was mesmerized from the first line.

"Wow! Haley looks hot!" Lucas observed.

Prying his eyes away from Haley, Nathan threw his brother a dirty look.


	9. Chapter 9

The first thing Haley James thought when she woke up the next morning was that if she opened her eyes and sat up too fast, she'd throw up. The second thing she thought was that her pillow was hard as a rock and hot as a furnace. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly she realized that there was an arm around her waist. She bolted straight up.

And looked down to where heard head had been just in time to see a bare-chested Nathan Scott stretch. "What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"Nathan?" Haley fairly shrieked.

"Oh, that wasn't the reaction I was hoping for," he said, slowly sitting up. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I drank every bottle of liquor in the entire bar," she told him. "How much did I have to drink?"

Nathan cleared his throat. "Six bottles of beer," he said, trying hard not to laugh.

"I am such a lightweight," she said and realized she was still staring at his chest. "Can you put your shirt on?" she asked him. He reached over the side of her bed and picked his t-shirt up. He pulled it on over his head. "Do you remember last night?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said, swinging her legs over her side of the bed and putting her head in her hands. She was happy to see that she was still wearing her clothes from last night. "I remember you carrying me into my bedroom and putting me in bed. And I remember me begging you to stay. And to kiss me. You said you'd stay, but no to the kiss," she said, mortified by what she remembered from the night before.

Nathan nodded, but then realized that she was back to him so she couldn't see him. "Yeah," he said out loud.

"I'll be right back," she said. She stood up and slowly walked out of her room and down the hall to the bathroom. After spending some time throwing up of some of the liquor and her supper from the night before, she finally stood up and brushed her teeth.

When she finally made her way back into her bedroom, her bed was made and Nathan was sitting on the edge of the bed tying his sneakers. He nodded to her night stand. "I got you a glass of water and a couple of aspirin. You're going to need them. Was this your first time drinking?" he asked, straightening up.

Haley nodded her head yes. "And most likely, my last."

Nathan laughed at that. Then he stood up and started to walk out.

"Nathan—"she said quickly. "Thanks for—you know, not taking advantage of me last night."

"I'm not into the habit of taking advantage of women, Haley. And just so you know, the _only _reason I didn't kiss you last night was because I wasn't sure you'd remember it come this morning. And when I kiss you again, I want you to remember it. But know this, I _do_ have every intention of kissing you again," he promised her. He put his hand on her cheek. "Get some rest. Maybe I'll see you at the game this afternoon?" Mesmerized by his clear blue eyes, Haley could only nod yes.

He left, and Haley sighed. _He_ _could have at least kissed me this __**morning**_, she thought.

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Haley was fast asleep with her blinds down when Peyton and Brooke burst into her room and jumped on her bed. She awoke with a start and groaned. "You guys!" she said. "What are you doing? I am in a very fragile state right now."

"Fragile as in I just lost my virginity last night to Nathan Scott?" Brooke asked. "Come on, Tutor girl, spill. Did you sleep with my boyfriend's baby brother?"

Haley rolled her eyes and then rubbed her face. "No, I did not sleep with Nathan," she said.

Peyton grinned. "Pay up, Davis. You owe me 50 bucks."

"Oh, Haley," Brooke sighed. "I expected more from you."

"What time is it?" Haley asked, changing the subject.

"It's almost noon," Brooke informed her. "Tip off is in two hours. Are you coming to the game?"

"Yes," Haley said yawning. "But first I need a very long, very hot shower." She threw the covers off herself and stood up, stretching.

The girl's watched Haley walk out of the room. "Well, well, well. It looks like Miz James is warming up to Nathan after all," Peyton said.

Brooke grinned. "That girl needs some action in her life."

888

Nathan and his teammates ran in towards their bench as the buzzer sounded, signaling that it was almost time for the game to begin. "Nathan!" he heard from the other end of the bench. He looked up and Haley was walking towards him. "Hey," she said when she got to him.

He grinned at her. "Hey, yourself," he said. "You made it."

"Yeah, just in time, too," she said, noticing the coach glaring at her. She quickly reached up and pulled her elastic from her hair. She held it out to him. He took it from her. "For luck," she said, and then turned and walked away. Nathan looked at the elastic in his hand and grinned. Then he put it in his sock, with the other one.

From the sidelines in their cheerleader uniforms, Peyton and Brooke looked at each other and grinned.

888

Haley had to practically fight for her seat and then squeeze into an impossibly small space, but she got a seat right behind the score keepers table this time. She had really enjoyed listening to the spiky haired announcer last time, and she wanted to be able to do that again. As the game progressed, she watched Nathan move on the court. He was so graceful. She couldn't believe the amount of baskets he made. She wasn't sure, being as this was only her second game attended, but she thought that it was a lot. The spiky haired guy at the table confirmed that. "A few more games like this," he said, "and Nathan Scott just might beat his very own game high score! The man is on fire, once again, and one can't help but wonder, where has this Nathan Scott _been_ all season?"

Haley grinned to herself. One thing was for sure. She was now a huge basketball fan.

888

Haley was sitting on her bed studying later that evening when Peyton walked into her room. "Hey."

Haley looked up. "Hey."

"How'd you like the game?" Peyton asked, sitting at the foot of Haley's bed.

"I actually liked it a lot," she said. "I think I could become a huge basketball fan."

"And it doesn't hurt that Nathan looks hot on the court, either," Peyton said.

Haley laughed. "No, that doesn't hurt."

"So, Brooke and I are going over to the guys for pizza and a movie tonight. Or maybe games. We're not sure yet. Wanna come?"

Haley shook her head. "I don't think so. It's weird to be around when you guys are in twos."

"Haley, trust me, it's not like that. We're just gonna watch some movies. And most of the time when it's the four of us, Nathan is there, too. And so are the girls."

"No making out for two straight hours during the entire film?"

"Cross my heart," Peyton said with the motions.

Haley laughed. "Maybe I will come. Calculus is starting to give me a headache, and since I've already had one of those today, I'm not in any hurry to get another one."

"Great. We're leaving in about an hour. The guys want to get the girls down for bed first," Peyton told her.

888

Lucas closed the door behind the girls and gently grabbed Brooke's arm. "Hey, Cheery," he said, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"Hey, Boyfriend. What's on the agenda tonight?" she asked.

"Before or after the movie?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Brooke laughed. "I hope it's not a long movie."

Lucas looked at the other two girls. "Hey, Hales. Hey, Peyton."

"Hey, Lucas. How are you?" Haley asked.

"I'm good, thanks." He looked at Peyton. "Jake went to pick up the pizza. He should be back anytime. You guys want to have a seat in the living room?"

"Sounds good," Peyton said.

Lucas and the girls went into the living room and sat down on the couch. "You guys want anything to drink?" Lucas asked.

"I'll think I'll wait until the pizza gets here," Brooke said, and the other two agreed.

Not long after that, Jake walked in with the pizzas. "Hey, guys." He put the pizzas on the coffee table and then grinned at Peyton. He walked over and greeted her with a chaste kiss. "How's my girl?" He said.

Peyton blushed lightly and giggled like a school girl. "I'm good. How're you?"

"I'm better now," he said, winking at her. He took his brown leather jacket off and hung it up by the door. "Where's Nate?" he asked. "I didn't see his car."

"I'm not sure," Lucas said. The phone rang as if on cue. Lucas picked it up. "Hello?" he said. After a quick conversation, he hung up. "That was Nate." He looked at Jake. "He said Maddie was overtired and fussy, so he's going to ride around with her until she falls asleep. He said to go ahead and start with the pizza, but he wants to see the movie."

Halfway through the pizza, Nate walked into the living room from the kitchen door with a sleeping Maddie in his arms. "Hey, guys," he said softly.

"Hey. You need some help, man?" Lucas asked.

"Naw, I got her. I'll be down in a few minutes," he told them, going up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Nathan came back down. "Maddie woke up when I was changing her into her pajamas," he said. "I needed to lay with her for a little bit to get her back to sleep."

"That's OK," Lucas said. "We just finished with the pizza. There's plenty left if you want some."

"Thanks, but I had supper at my mom's with Maddie. I didn't get to last night, so I didn't want to miss it tonight." He made a disgusted face. "We had macaroni and cheese."

"And vegetables, I'm assuming?" Jake joked. He knew how particular Nathan was with his daughter's eating habits.

"Steamed carrots," Nathan confirmed.

"You guys ready for the movie?" Jake asked.

After a chorus of yes', Jake popped the movie in. It was the latest horror flick, much to Haley's dismay. She hated horror movies.

Peyton and Jake were cuddled on a chaise, Nathan was in the recliner, and Lucas, Brooke, and Haley were on the couch, Brooke in the middle. Halfway through the movie, Brooke jumped during a scary part and spilled her soda on Haley. Haley laughed. "Thanks, Brooke. I forgot my spare shirt at home," she joked.

"I have a t-shirt you can wear," Nathan said, standing up. "Come on." He led the way up the stairs and Haley followed Nathan to his bedroom.

"Tree Hill Ravens or Charlotte Bobcats?" he asked.

"What? No Boston Celtics?" she asked.

"Aww…Haley, you're breaking my heart here."

"I'm kidding," Haley told him. "I am not a Celtics fan. I've never even been to a basketball game before the two I've seen here."

"You're kidding," he said.

Haley laughed. "I'm not, actually. I've never been a big fan of sports before."

He held up the two shirts. She pointed to the Ravens one. He tossed it to her and put the other one back in his drawer. "Turn around," she told him. He turned around and she quickly changed her shirt. "Done," she said, and he turned back around. She grabbed her wet shirt off of his white pillowcase. The orange soda from her shirt had soaked through. "Oh, I ruined your pillowcase," she said, picking up the pillow to take the case off. Something resting beneath where his pillow had been caught her eye. "What's that?" she said softly.


	10. Chapter 10

Haley grinned. "Are those my elastics?" she asked.

For the first time since she'd met him, Haley saw him blush. "I know, he said. It's kind of—"

"Adorable?" Haley cut in. She reached down and picked up the contents that had been beneath his pillow. "OK, so the two black ones are mine, but the pink one with the hippopotamus head on it is _definitely_ not mine," she said.

Nathan laughed. "You don't like hippopotamus'?" he asked.

Haley laughed, too. "Oh, I love hippo's, but I hate pink," she said. She looked down at the last item in her hand. It was a laminated picture of a very young looking Nathan in a rocking chair smiling down at the baby that he was holding. "You and Maddie?" she asked, holding the picture up.

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "It was one of our first pictures together where I'm smiling," he told her. "Unfortunately, I didn't appreciate her for the first few months of her life. I let my mom do that," he said, obviously ashamed.

"Nathan, you were young. You don't—hold that against yourself do you?"

"She deserved better," he said.

"And now she has it," Haley assured him, placing the items back where she found them. "You're an amazing daddy, Nathan. I've seen you with her. She thinks you hung the moon."

"Yeah, but I didn't."

"That's not the point. The point is—there's a little girl down the hallway who thinks you _can_," she told him. "I however, know the truth," Haley said, trying to lighten the mood. "It was actually _my _daddy who hung the moon."

Nathan laughed softly, then swallowed audibly. "You think I'm a good dad?" he asked, almost as if he were afraid of the answer.

"No. I think you're a _great_ dad," she told him.

"Thanks, Haley," he said.

"You're welcome." There was a pause. "So, tell me, Nathan, do you always sleep with my elastics underneath your pillow?" she teased.

"Actually—"he explained, "they're only under my pillow for safe keeping. Those are my good luck charms that I keep in my sock during games."

"Well, that certainly explains the smell," Haley joked.

Nathan laughed.

"I can't believe you keep a picture of Maddie in your sock for good luck," she said.

"It's not just me. Lucas and Jake do, too," he told her.

"Yes, but who started it?" she wanted to know.

"That would be me," Nathan confessed.

"That's what I thought," Haley said knowingly. "Back to the movie?" she asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Haley," he said softly.

"For what?" she asked.

"For this talk, for your elastics, just—for being you," he said.

Haley laughed nervously. "Thanks," she said, hurrying past him and out of the room. They returned downstairs to find the credits rolling. "Thank God!" Haley said as she stepped down from the bottom stair. "That was the dumbest movie I've ever seen," she said.

"It kind of was. Who picked it out, again?" Lucas asked.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "_I _picked it out," she said. "I wanted an excuse to sit closer to you," she told him. "I'm rethinking that."

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. "You can't resist me and you know it," he said to her.

She laughed. "You're so right. There is nothing about you that I can resist. Especially—" she put her hand up and whispered something in Luke's ear. Luke jumped up and grabbed Brooke's hand. "Don't worry, girls, I'll give Brooke a ride home in the morning," he said as he pulled her from the room and up the stairs, laughing all the way up the stairs and until they heard a door close.

"Well, I wonder _they're_ going to be doing tonight?" Haley said sarcastically.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Nothing _I'm_ gonna be doing tonight, right, baby?" he said to Peyton.

She put a finger in his face. "That was your stupid idea—not mine." She reminded him, laughing. "If it was up to me, we'd be—Lucasing and Brooke-ing all night long," she said.

Haley laughed. "Do you think maybe we're taking this Brooke-ing thing a little too far?" Haley asked.

Peyton laughed. "No way. Even Brooke appreciates it when she hears it."

"Waaaaaaitttt a minute," Nathan said. "There is a story here, and we want in. Isn't that right, Jake?"

Jake nodded. "That's right, Nate."

Haley looked at Peyton. "Do we dare?" she asked.

Peyton got up on her knees like she was about to share something important. "I know _I_ do," Peyton said. "If there are consequences to be had, I'll deal with them later. Do you want to tell it, or shall I?" she asked.

"You tell it. I wasn't even there. And you tell it so well," Haley told her friend.

"Thanks, Hales," Peyton said. "So…freshmen year of college, UCLA, our friend Rachel wanted to have this girl's weekend. So she piled all of us up into this huge limo Hummer. I'm talking—you could've fit your entire basketball team in it. Anyway, so we get there…" Peyton continued to tell the entire story. "So Rachel opens the door to tell her that we're all getting ready to go four-wheeling, and our favorite bubbly brunette was in there 'Brooke-ing' herself," she said with air quotes.

They guys immediately erupted into laughter and went on for a good two minutes before they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. They turned around and Brooke was standing there, hands on her hips. "Enjoyed that, did ya, boys?"

"Uh-oh," Haley said. "We are so dead."

"P. Sawyer--you did _not _just tell that story!" Brooke exclaimed.

"It was her idea," Peyton said, pointing to Haley.

Haley's jaw dropped and her head flew around to look at Peyton. "If there are consequences to be had, I'll deal with them later," Haley mocked.

Peyton laughed. "This is how I deal with them."

Brooke walked over, and slapped Peyton in the back of the head. "You _know _I like to be there when you tell that story. I love to see people's reactions to it!" For good measure, she it Peyton in the back of the head again, and then stuck a finger in her face. "Next time you tell that, you make sure I'm in the room!" she scolded, then turned on her heel and walked over to her purse. Making a show out of it, Brooke got a condom out of her purse. When she turned around, the four of them were staring at her. "Lucas was going to come down to get it, but it was a little _hard _for him to stand up," she said. With that, she left the room.

"All-right, Hales, we gotta go," Peyton said. "I have to get up early to go meet my dad for breakfast and you have to go to work."

"The daycare is open on weekends?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, not that job," Peyton said. "This is Haley's other job."

"How can you be working two jobs and going to school?" Nathan asked.

"Well, I only work ten hours a week at the daycare and just Sunday's at the restaurant," Haley said.

"Because you know, Nathan," Peyton said, mimicking Haley, "that laptop is not going to buy itself."

Haley laughed. "Well, it's not," she said, standing up. "Come on, roomie. Let's go!"

Peyton kissed Jake on quickly on the lips. "Bye, honey. Have a good night," she said, as she stood up and walked with Haley to the door. "Brooke-ing yourself," she finished smiling sweetly.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You're over doing it, Peyton."

"Have a good night, Haley," Nathan called after her.

She looked at him and smiled. "Good-night, Nathan," she said softly.

The door closed behind them. "Dude—what was _that_ about?" Jake asked.

"What?" Nathan asked innocently.

"She looked like she wanted to take a _big_ ole' bite outta ya."

Nathan grinned. "She did, didn't she?"


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey, guys. In light of the 'holiday,' I've decided to include this little tidbit in the story. It's just a mini one-shot within the story. When the story is picked back up next time, it won't pick up where this left off, it will pick up a few days from now. Enjoy!_

"BROOKE!" Haley yelled from her bedroom. "Can I borrow one of your denim mini skirts?"

"Yep!" Brooke yelled back.

Haley walked out into the hallway in time to see Brooke's mini skirt land on the floor. She picked it up and walked into Brooke's room. "Thanks. Do you have some shoes to go with it?" Haley asked. Wordlessly, Brooke dug around in her closet and produced a pair of heels for Haley. "Great, thanks, again. And a shirt to go with it?" Brooke nodded her head and grabbed a white tank top from her set of drawers and gave it to Haley. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. PEYTON!" Brooke yelled. "Can I borrow your black zip up hoodie with the skulls and crossbones on it?" she asked, leaving the room and rushing into Peyton's. Peyton dug around in her closet and handed Brooke her favorite hoodie. "Thanks!" Brooke said, rushing from the room in her dark denim jeans and a white tank top.

Haley followed Brooke back into her room. "Can you do my makeup?" Haley asked.

"Have a seat on my bed," Brooke said. Haley sat patiently for half an hour while Brooke perfected her makeup. "There, all done," Brooke said, handing Haley a mirror to look into.

Haley turned her face from side to side. "Don't you think the eyeliners a little too thick?" Haley asked her friend.

Brooke put her hands on her hips. "Do you want my help or not?" she asked, agitated.

"Geez, I'm sorry," Haley said, standing up. "Now I know why they call you the cheer NAZI behind your back," Haley said on her way out.

"Haley!" Peyton yelled. "Can I borrow one of your t-shirts and your makeup" she asked.

"Which T-shirt?" Haley yelled back.

"It doesn't matter!" Peyton returned.

Haley picked out her favorite T-shirt and scooped up what little make up she had and brought it into Peyton's room.

"Thanks," Peyton said.

"You're welcome," Haley said on her way out.

888

A little while later, there was a knock on the front door of the girl's apartment. Brooke opened the door and Lucas and Jake walked in.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Captain Jack Sparrow," Brooke said, greeting her boyfriend with a hot kiss. "How did you know I had the hots for him?"

"I kind of figured it out last night when you asked me if you could scream _his _name," Lucas said.

Brooke laughed. "I did _not_ ask that. Good idea, though," she said, slapping his butt as he walked away.

He spun around. "And you, my lady," he said in a fake accent. "What might you be?"

"Or who," Brooke said. "I'm Peyton," she told him, spinning around.

Lucas looked at Brooke and just nodded. "Nice wig," he said.

"You like that, do you?" she asked.

Lucas took a minute to size it up. "Kind of," he said, "but it's nothing compared to what's underneath."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Where's Nathan?" she asked, peeking out the front door.

"He'll be up in just a minute. He's finding a parking spot." Nathan walked in as Luke finished his sentence. "Wow. That was quick."

"I'm parked in a fire zone," Nathan told his brother.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "This is why you get tickets, Nathan."

"You should have dressed up as my mother," Nathan said.

Just then Haley walked out. "Wow!" Nathan said. "Haley—you look hot."

Haley pursed her lips and sighed. "Nathan, what are you supposed to be?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. He was wearing a blonde wig, a hooded Keith Motors sweatshirt, a pair of faded jeans, and flip-flops. He was holding a book in his hands. Haley went over and snagged it from his hands. It was The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck. "You're Lucas?" she accused.

Nathan grinned. "Yep, to your Brooke," he said.

Haley closed her eyes and licked her lips, trying to reign in her temper. "Who told you?" she demanded.

Brooke cleared her throat. "It kind of slipped out," she told her friend.

"When!?"

Brooke shrugged a shoulder. "When he asked me," she said.

"You guys, I don't know if I can wear this all night," Peyton said, walking into the living room, looking down at her costume.

Jake burst into laughter. "A chastity belt?" he asked, but you could barely understand him because he was still laughing.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Nathan asked.

"Duh…I'm Haley," Peyton told him.

It took a moment for full realization to set in, but when it did, Nathan's surprised eyes flew to Haley's. She gave him a defiant look back, and then brushed past him out the front door. "Let's just get going," she said on the way out. "By the way, Jake, nice costume."

He looked down at himself. "But I'm not dressed up," he said.

"Really?" Haley said. "Because I could swear you're the boyfriend of a bitch."


	12. Chapter 12

Brooke looked around the gymnasium and then walked over to Nathan, who was on the floor warming up before the game. "Where's Lucas?" she asked.

"Laney got sick just before he was supposed to leave to take her to Karen's and she wouldn't stop crying for him. He's gonna skip the game," Nathan said.

"He can't skip this game!" Brooke said. "This is one of our biggest games of the year. Scout's are gonna be here!" she said almost frantically.

Nathan looked at Brooke strangely. "It's OK, Brooke; the scout's will be at other games."

"No, it's not OK!" she said, now in a full-on panic. "He deserves to be here!" she insisted.

"And Laney deserves to have her daddy take care of her when she's sick, Brooke. Trust me, it's a fair trade. Lucas would never put basketball above Laney," Nathan told her, sinking a free shot while not even looking at the basket.

Brooke sighed in defeat and walked back over to her squad. She tossed her pom-poms to Peyton. "You're in charge, P. Sawyer. There's somewhere I need to be," she told her best friend.

"Where?" Peyton asked as Brooke walked away.

"Somewhere more important than a basketball game," she threw over her shoulder.

"Will wonders never cease," Peyton said to herself. She shook her head in amazement. She never thought she'd see the day when Brooke would willingly walk away from a game. She spun around to face the squad. "OK, girls, Brooke had an emergency, and she had to leave," Peyton said, knowing it was true. She didn't know why Brooke had left, but one thing was for certain, it had to have been important—just like Brooke said. "We're on our own tonight," she told the other girls

888

10 minutes later, Brooke's car screeched to a halt in front of the beach house. She ran up to the front door and started knocking. She stopped when she could hear footsteps on the other side of it. Lucas threw the door open, clearly ready to give the person on the other side of it a piece of his mind. Instead, his look turned to one of surprise when he saw Brooke standing there.

"Brooke," he said, and then grinned when he saw that she was in her cheerleading uniform. "Are you here to make all my dreams come true?" he asked.

She rushed past him and into the kitchen, taking off her jacket along the way. "Yes, I am," she told him. "I'm here to watch Laney so that you can go to the game."

"What?" Lucas said, speechless.

She walked up to him and put her hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eye. "Luke, there are going to be _scouts_ at this game today," she reminded him. "You never know what could happen. This could be your chance to make sure you and Laney will have everything you ever need."

Lucas shook his head. "If _you _never leave, then we _will_ have everything we ever need," slipped out of his mouth before he could even think about it. He cleared his throat, nervously.

Brooke's hands fell from his shoulders and she took a step back in surprise. "If you leave now, you can still make the game," she said softly.

"But what about you?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to cheer tonight?"

Brooke laughed. "I have no plans to cheer after college," she told him. "Unlike you and basketball. Luke, this could be your shot!"

Lucas nodded. "Yep, it could be. Or, it could be my opportunity to be the best dad that I can be and stay home with my daughter tonight while she's sick."

"_I'll _stay home with Laney," Brooke said.

"She's not your responsibility," Lucas told her.

"I know she's not. But right now, in this relationship, _you _are. And I want you to be happy. If that means playing in the NBA—"

"What if it doesn't?"

Brooke's mouth snapped shut in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean—it _might_ include that. But if that's meant to be, then it'll happen. If not, it won't. This one night won't stop my destiny. I'll be fine. Go back to the game, Brooke."

"No," she told him, shaking her head. "I don't wanna go back to the game."

"Why not?" Lucas asked.

Brooke smiled. "Because my favorite person to cheer for is standing right in front of me. And I'd rather be with you than my pom-poms," she said.

"Wow," Lucas said in mock surprise. "I rate above the pom-poms now?" he asked, tugging her closer to him by he hand and taking her in his arms.

Brooke nodded her head. "Scandalous, isn't it?"

"A month ago I might've said yes. But I've been seeing this one coming," he told her. "You know how irresistible I am."

Brooke laughed. "Yes, Lucas, I know how irresistible you are. And just in case I forget, you're always there to remind me."

Lucas smiled back at her.

"So, where's Laney?" Brooke asked.

"She's sleeping in my bed," he answered. "It's her favorite place to be when she's sick."

Brooke followed Lucas up the stairs and they walked into Lucas' room to check on Laney, who was still fast asleep and then they went into the living room. They were sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket with their feet up on the coffee table. "So, what's the matter with Laney?" Brooke asked.

Lucas shrugged. "I'm not sure. She just said that her tummy hurt, then she threw up once, and when we got into bed, she was out within five minutes."

"Wow," Brooke said.

There was silence for a minute. "So are we going to talk about my comment or is it off limits."

"It's not off limits," she said, snuggling closer to him.

"OK," he said cautiously.

Brooke moved away from him and sat up straight.

"I don't like this already," Lucas said

"It's not what you think, Lucas. I _love_ hearing those things from you," she assured him. "But most of the time, I'm not sure how to react, because I've never had a man say anything like that to me before." She sighed. "Remember a few weeks ago when I told you that I don't like to visit memory lane very often?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Right. Well, it's because—I've never been in a serious relationship before, Lucas. I'm not proud to say this, but I was a very much love 'em and leave 'em kind of girl. In a purely physical way. I never let anyone get close to me. Not men, anyway. Not emotionally."

"Why me?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know, Lucas. I've asked myself that a million times. With you, I see something in _me_ that I really like. You and Laney make me want to be a better person. I know that sounds so corny, but it's the truth, Lucas. And I just—I'm asking you to be patient with me. I'm not always sure how to respond to the things that happen with us. Because I wanna make sure I do everything right. I'm scared of screwing up with you," she admitted.

"I'll walk you through it," he told her, pulling her back to him and wrapping the blanket back around her. "That's better," he said, softly placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Daddy!" they heard from upstairs. Lucas jumped up and was headed up the stairs before Brooke even had a chance to move. She got up and followed him up the stairs.

When she got into the room, Lucas was sitting on the bed beside Laney and she was sitting up with two pillows propped behind her back. "Brooke!" she exclaimed when she saw her father's girlfriend standing in the doorway.

Brooke gave her a little wave. "Hi, honey, how are you feeling?"

"My tummy doesn't hurt anymore," she told Brooke, shaking her head while saying it. "I don't have to have any medicine, right, daddy?" she said.

Lucas laughed. "Not if your belly isn't hurting," he agreed.

"I _like_ your dress," Laney told Brooke.

"Aww, thanks, Laney," Brooke said. "It's my cheerleading uniform," she explained. "I wear it when your daddy plays basketball so I can tell him what a great job he's doing."

"Well I _really_ like it," Laney said, yawning. "Daddy, will you lay down with me again?" she asked her father.

"Yes, I will," he said, ruffling her blonde curly hair, which was sticking out in a hundred different directions.

"Can Brooke lay down with us, too?" Laney asked.

Brooke's eyes flew to Lucas' and he grinned. "I think that's a great idea," Lucas agreed. He crawled up on one side of his daughter, and Brooke on the other. They all got under the covers and the last thing Laney said before drifting back off to sleep was, "Daddy, we need a bigger bed."


	13. Chapter 13

The weeks went by, and before they knew it, finals week was here. They'd been studying for weeks, the guys stressed because they hadn't been able to see their daughter's as much as they wanted to, and Brooke and Peyton stressed because their boyfriends were stressed. Haley, on the other hand, was in all of her glory. She loved finals time. She loved cramming, she loved late night study sessions, and she loved study food! Pizza and soda had been had for the last three days, while studying sessions went on until early a.m. Brooke joked that Haley and Lucas might as well be dating, since Lucas was spending so much time with Haley studying for their Anatomy and Physiology final.

The night before their last finals, Lucas and Nathan were sitting in the living room, Nathan at the coffee table with his notes spread out, and Lucas with his stuff spread out on the desk. They were supposed to be studying, but instead, they were engaging in one of what they called their "manly conversations," which was, of course, just a masculine way of saying girl talk.

"Brooke hasn't told me that she loves me yet," Lucas admitted. "I told _her_ almost three months ago."

Nathan slowly shook her head. "Wow. I've never known you to tell a girl first. Or at all for that matter," he said. "With the exception of Sara."

"Maybe I said it too soon," he said. "She told me that she's never been in a serious relationship before. Maybe I scared her."

"Come on. You don't believe that," Nathan said, taking a sip of his water. "If that were true, she wouldn't still be here."

Lucas shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not," he said.

"At least she's sticking around," Nathan said. "I can't even get Haley to talk to me. We have—well, what I think is a "moment," and then I don't hear from her for six weeks. When I see her at Maddie's daycare, she just hands Maddie off to me and rushes back inside."

Lucas frowned, and then thought for a minute, choosing his words carefully. "She was hurt before she came here, Nate."

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked.

Lucas sighed. "I don't know all the details, because apparently, the best friend clause is more important than the boyfriend clause—or at least that's what Brooke tells me—but, anyway. She was in a serious relationship with a guy and he left her for her best friend. They were married a few weeks later. Haley had been dating him for almost four years," Lucas told him.

Nathan grinned. "Don't know all the details, huh?" he teased.

Lucas laughed. "I guess I knew more about it than I thought."

"So she left Maine to get away from him?" Nathan questioned.

"Yeah," Luke confirmed.

"So—is she still in love with him?" Nathan asked, trying to be offhanded about it, but Lucas knew that the answer was going to be very important to his brother.

"Nah, Brooke says she's over him, but she uses it as an excuse to keep you—or men in general at arms length." Lucas inwardly scolded himself for his slip of words. He had practically admitted to Nathan that Haley had feelings for him.

"So, she likes me, then?" Nathan asked, grinning.

OK, so maybe he _ha__d _admitted it to his brother. "That's not what I said," Lucas said firmly.

Nathan was still grinning. "Whatever big brother, but thanks for the information."

Lucas couldn't help but grin back. "You're welcome." There was a pause. "I'm going to ask Brooke to marry me."

"What?" Nathan asked, surprised.

"Well, if she tells me that she loves me. She's the one, Nathan."

Nathan slowly nodded.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing," Nathan said.

"I want to know, Nate," Lucas pressed.

Nathan sighed deeply. "It's not just you, anymore, Luke. You have Laney to think about."

"I know that," Luke said.

"After what happened last time, I just think you should be cautious," Nathan warned him. "You thought you knew who Sara was, but you didn't," he reminded his brother.

Luke nodded. "Thanks for worrying about us, Nathan, but I know Brooke."

"You've known Brooke for 4 months," Nathan argued.

"That's longer than I knew Sara before I married her," Lucas defended himself.

"Lucas, you've been wearing today's underwear longer than you knew Sara when you married her. Not a very persuasive argument. Look—" he said. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't marry her. I'm just saying be careful. Laney has a big heart. And she gets attached really easy. Make sure it's forever."

"It is," Luke said confidently.

"Then let me be the first to say congratulations, big brother."

Luke grinned. "Thanks. But first I need to hear her say she loves me."

The front door opened and Jake walked in. He took off his coat and put it on one of the pegs by the door. He took one look at the guys and knew immediately what was going on. "Oh, crap," he said. "You guys are having all of that sensitive talk again, aren't you?" Jake asked. He really liked living with the Scott brothers, but they talked about their feelings _waaay _too much for Jake's liking.

Lucas laughed. "If that's what you want to call it."

"You want in?" Nathan asked, fully expecting Jake to escape up the stairs, like he usually did when these conversations took place—which in Nathan's and Lucas' defense was not very often, he thought to himself. Instead, Jake sat down on the chair. "I think I might," Jake said. "Should I get some ice cream?" Jake asked.

"For what?" Nathan returned with a question of his own.

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. Peyton said that when they have girl talk, they usually do it over ice cream," he explained.

"Dude, we are not having 'girl talk,'" Lucas said firmly. "What we are having—is a 'manly chat.'"

"Ice cream sounds kind of good," Nathan said.

Lucas looked at his younger brother. "Yeah, it kind of does," he agreed.

Jake jumped up. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into the kitchen. "We don't have any ice cream," he called from the other room. "How about beer and pretzels?" he asked.

Nathan looked at Lucas and shrugged as if to say it was OK with him.

"Yeah, that's good," Lucas yelled back.

Jake returned and handed a beer to each of the guys and sat the pretzels in the middle of the coffee table. He sat down and they all took a drink of beer.

"So, I think I'm gonna break up with Peyton," he said, not making eye contact with either one of the guys.

Lucas' and Nathan's eyes flew to Jake's. "What?" they said in unison.

"I think I'm going to—"

"We heard you," Lucas said. "We're looking for clarification."

Jake sighed, and then leaned forward, put his beer on the coffee table and his hands on his knees. "I need to let her go."

"What does _that _mean?" Lucas asked.

"I can't do this to her," he said.

"Do what?" Nathan asked.

"Tie her down like this. With a kid. Jenny is not her responsibility. And she's 21. I just think it's too much to ask."

"Are you kidding me?" Lucas asked in disbelief.

Jake shook his head no. "Don't you ever feel guilty for dating Brooke when you can't spend as much time with her as she deserves?"

"No!" Lucas said. "Brooke knows I have a daughter and yes, there are sometimes concessions that she has to make, but she's OK with that."

"Are you sure about that?" Jake asked.

"Yes!" Lucas said emphatically.

"I just don't think it's fair to her."

"Are you going to tell her why you're breaking it off?" Nathan asked.

"I'm just going to tell her that I'm not ready for this," he said, not looking either one of them in the eyes.

"That's crap!" Lucas said. "She deserves to know the truth."

"Why, Luke?" Jake asked angrily. "So she can be all heroic and tell me that she loves Jenny and that she wants to stick around? I don't think so. Peyton wants to own a record company in New York someday. I'll never go to New York. Why prolong this?"

"You're a coward!" Lucas told his friend.

"What?" Jake asked, getting angrier by the second. "You don't think that Brooke deserves an out?" he asked.

Luke shook his head in disbelief. "Brooke doesn't need an out. If she doesn't want to be with us, she's free to leave. But one thing is for sure, if she loves us, and Laney and I are lucky enough that she picks us, I'm sure as hell not going to _try_ to drive her away. Brooke's a big girl. She makes her own choices. I'm not going to take that away from her!" Lucas said hotly.

Jake shook his head and then stood up, grabbing his coat back off the coat hook and walking out the front door without a word.

888

"I can't believe how much things have changed in just one semester," Peyton said, sticking her spoon into the ice cream carton in the center of the kitchen table and taking a spoonful.

Brooke grinned. "Tell me about it."

"I mean—just 5 month's ago, I wanted to be this hotshot record exec in New York at some hot label."

"And now?" Brooke asked.

Peyton smiled to herself. She wasn't making eye contact with Brooke. It was as if she was staring into the future. She shook herself from her reverie. "If I never go to New York, I'll be happy. As long as I have Jake and Jenny."

"Aww…Peyt," Brooke said softly.

"I know. I feel so different, Brooke."

"You _are_ different."

Peyton smiled widely. "I think I'm gonna ask him to marry me," she said.

"What?" Brooke asked in disbelief.

"I just—I wanna be with Jake forever, Brooke. I want to be Jenny's mother. I never thought I could have it all—but with Jake, I think I can."

Brooke jumped up and ran over to Peyton on the other side of the table. She pulled her friend up by the hand and gave her a big hug.

Just then, they heard the front door open, and they knew Haley was home. A few seconds later, Haley walked into the kitchen and saw the girls hugging. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Peyton's going to ask Jake to marry her!" Brooke exploded before her friend could open her mouth. Brooke's hand flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry!" Brooke said. "That was your news!"

"Who cares who said it as long as it got told?" Peyton said.

Haley let out a screech and then ran over to the girls. They all jumped up and down in a circle and screamed in excitement.


	14. Chapter 14

Peyton had just had her last final of the semester and was in a floral shop just off campus, looking for the perfect proposal flowers. She was going to take Jake to the River Court, which was where they had hung out when they were in high school. And where they'd shared their first kiss in junior high. Sure, they'd been experimenting, but a first kiss was a first kiss. She had been practicing shooting baskets from the free throw line all week, and she finally thought she had it down. She was going to drag Jake out there with a basketball and stand behind the free throw line. "If this basket goes in, you marry me," she was going to say. Simple. Just like her relationship with him. It had even started off simple. One second they were friends, the next second they were making out on his living room couch and then boom! They were a couple. And just like that—boom! They'd be married. Peyton had never been more sure of anything in her entire life. She thought she'd been destined to spend it alone, but that had all changed with Jake and Jenny. She wanted Jake to be her husband, and she wanted Jenny to be her daughter. She shook herself from her thoughts, but she couldn't shake the smile that was on her face, and she didn't want to. For once, she _wanted_ to look like a fool in love.

Peyton finally decided on red roses—simple and classic, just like her and Jake. Perfect for the occasion. She paid for the flowers and then gently placed them in the trunk of her car next to the box with the basketball in it. She knew it was childish, but she'd written Peyton Loves Jake on it and had drawn a picture of them, her with him standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. She smiled when she remembered doing it. She had smiled the whole time, knowing that he loved little romantic gestures like that.

She knew that Jakes mom had Jenny this afternoon, so she was going to go to the apartment and ask Jake to go for a ride with her. She didn't want him to see the flowers because she didn't want him to be tipped off.

Still grinning like the fool she knew she was, Peyton got into the driver's seat of her car and headed for the beach house. Once she reached her destination and was in the driveway, Peyton looked into the mirror to make sure she looked perfect. She smoothed her hair and freshened her lip gloss, and then pinched her cheeks for a little extra color, even though she was pretty sure she didn't need it. She got out of the car and practically skipped up the driveway. She felt so carefree. She knocked on the door and a minute later, Jake opened it. He was wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, and he looked like he'd been up all night. The expression on his face was glum. _I can change that, _she thought. She smiled and walked closer to Jake, wrapping her arms around his waist. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked. When he didn't say anything and she didn't feel his arms around her, she took a step back. "Jake, what's wrong? Is everything OK?" she asked, worried now.

"Peyton—we need to talk," he said.

"Is it Jenny?" Peyton asked. "My God—is she OK?"

Jake shook his head. "Jenny's fine. Come on in," he said. Peyton followed him into the living room and had a seat on the couch. "Jake—what's going on?" she asked, desperate now to know.

Jake cleared his throat and sighed deeply. "Peyton, I don't think we should see each other anymore," he blurted out with no preamble.

Peyton slowly shook her head and her eyes filled with unshed tears. "Ok," she said quietly, standing up and feeling like a complete idiot. She had wanted to _marry_ this man. She started for the door.

"Peyton, do you want to talk about this?" he asked.

She shook her head no. "Good-bye, Jake," she said softly, standing up. "Tell Jenny that I love her. And that I'll miss her." She closed the door gently behind her.

Peyton returned to her car, barely able to see through the onslaught of tears. Quickly wiping her eyes, she started her car and drove off. She wanted to be far, far away from Jake. She started for the apartment and stopped on the way to drop the roses and the basketball in a dumpster behind a restaurant. Any chance of Peyton being Jake's wife was gone. But Peyton the fool was still very much alive, she thought to herself. Unbelievable. _People always leave,_ she thought. _In one way or another._

This time—it was going to be her.

888

While Brooke was packing to go home for Christmas, Haley was lying on her bed to keep her company. It was only 4 days away now, and Lucas and Laney were going home with her to meet her parents. Brooke was hoping that for once, they'd follow through. She loved her parents, but unfortunately their word didn't mean a whole lot to her. They'd promised to be there multiple times in the past but had never complied. She was hoping that this year it would be different. She was hoping that this year—they'd be there. She was going through her closet and drawers trying to decide what she was going to bring home with her. Haley looked on in amazement at Brooke's packing skills. She'd never seen anyone that was able to fit 8 outfits, shoes and accessories for each outfit included, into one suitcase. "So you're flight is leaving tomorrow morning at 8 a. m.?" Haley asked. Brooke grinned and nodded. "This is the first time we're going to be apart since we met," Haley said, sadness in her voice.

Brooke laughed. "Haley James, are you going to miss me?" she asked.

Haley nodded. "But not for long," she said, cheering up. "At least I'll be in Maine with my parents. And some of my siblings. Maine, ugh. Why did my parents have to choose to spend Christmas in Maine, of all places? My brothers and sisters are spread out all over the country. I wanted to go to Tennessee!" she said.

"To make your big debut?" Brooke joked, referring to their karaoke night on Haley's 21st birthday.

Haley laughed. "No way. That was a once in a lifetime thing for me," she said. "I have absolutely no desire to sing."

"Well, you should think about it," Brooke said. "You're an amazing singer, Hales."

"Thanks," Haley said.

"OK," Brooke said. "I think 8 outfits for 4 days is plenty, don't you?" Brooke asked.

Haley laughed. "I think that 4 outfits for 4 days is plenty," she said.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I need to be prepared for any situation, Haley. OK," she said, closing her suitcase, "I need you to sit on this suitcase for me," she told Haley.

"What?"

"Well, it's really full," Brooke said. "And it's not going to zip itself. Come on, Hales."

Haley sighed and got up, walking over to the suitcase. She sat down on it. "Good," Brooke said. "Now try to put all of you weight on this side—ok, now the other side—ok, now in the middle—ok, now bounce a few times. Great!" Brooke exclaimed, finally getting it zipped all the way. She clapped her hands once. "Simple as that!" she exclaimed.

Haley sighed. There was nothing simple about it.

They both looked at each other as they heard the front door open and close. "She's back early," Haley said.

"Wasn't she supposed to propose to Jake today?" Brooke asked.

Haley nodded and the two hurried into the kitchen. Peyton was standing in front of the closed refrigerator taking a sip of her water. When she turned around, her eyes were red and swollen. "Peyton, what happened?" Brooke asked concern evident in her voice.

"Jake broke up with me," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Peyton," Brooke said, her voice filled with pain at what she knew her friend was going through.

"Oh, my God," Haley said. "After you proposed?" she asked.

Peyton shook her head. "Luckily I didn't get to do that before he said he didn't want to be with me anymore."

"I'll get the ice cream," Haley said.

Peyton shook her head. "I don't want ice cream," she said, softly. No amount of ice cream was going to fix this.

"Peyton—"Brooke said.

Peyton shrugged. "It's not a big deal," she said. "Things happen."

"Peyton, this _is _a big deal. Don't you dare act like it's not. You just got your heart _broken!_" Brooke said, anger now in her voice.

"What I got was a lesson learned," Peyton said. "I should have known not to let myself get involved like that."

Haley swallowed past the lump in her throat, knowing that nothing she could say would bring her friend any comfort.

"I'm gonna go lay down," Peyton said.

"Peyton, you need to talk about this," Brooke said.

"I don't want to _talk_, Brooke. It's in the past now."

"It was half an hour ago!" Brooke said.

"Yeah, well, half an hour ago is in the past. And it's my past, and I said I don't want to talk about it!" Peyton reiterated, exiting the room.

Haley and Brooke looked at each other. "She's shutting down," Brooke said, rubbing her temples. "This isn't good, Hales. She's gonna run," Brooke said knowingly.


	15. Chapter 15

_I have been listening to Christmas music today, and soon you will find out why! I just wanted to say thank you again so much to everyone who is taking the time to review! It is very much appreciated. The amount of reviews is nothing short of amazing! And now—for your reading pleasure…_

After saying good bye to his mom, Keith, and Lily—Lucas, Brooke, and Laney board the plane bound for Los Angeles. Lucas hadn't anticipated it being as hard as it was, but not until he was saying good bye did he realize that this would be his first Christmas ever away from his mother. He and Brooke found their seats and Lucas strapped Laney in, and then strapped the portable DVD player to the seat in front of her. Nathan's idea had been genius! Lucas had been very thankful that his brother had let him borrow it. He started Finding Nemo for Laney, and then he sat down and finally the plane took off. He looked over at Brooke and he noticed her hands were fidgeting. He put one of his hands on the two in her lap. "You're not nervous, are you?" Lucas asked.

Brooke looked at him and smiled weakly, shaking her head no. "I'm really worried about Peyton, Luke. She wouldn't even talk to me about it."

"I know it's going to take a while, Brooke, but Peyton is going to be fine," Luke offered.

Brooke shook her head again, her eyes filling with tears. "I wish that you were right, but I don't believe it for a second. She's gonna leave, Luke."

"Brooke—maybe you're wrong."

"She's gonna leave, Luke," Brooke repeated. "Jake broke her heart. She won't stick around to chance running into him every day."

Lucas sighed. "Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked.

"No," she told him. "Haley and I sat outside of Peyton's bedroom door in the hallway all night long, but she never came out. She didn't even come out to say goodbye to me," Brooke said on a sob. It was true, Peyton hadn't come out to say goodbye. Peyton had opened her bedroom door only once and had asked that the girls please not tell Lucas or Nathan that she'd been planning to propose. After the girls had said yes, Peyton's door had closed again and they had heard her footsteps as she returned to her bed, and then the soft sound of the mattress as Peyton had crawled back onto it. But the thing that had worried Brooke the most was that there were no sounds of crying behind the door. Crying—she could take, but this Peyton, the one who wouldn't let anyone in—she couldn't.

888

Haley sat at the kitchen table reading the morning paper in her pajama's with a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. It was ten in the morning and she'd just woken up. She was usually an early riser, but the day after finals, she always splurged on time and let herself sleep in. She had Christmas shopping that she still needed to do, but she didn't want to leave until Peyton came out of her room. Haley wanted to be there in case she needed to talk. She had finished reading the paper and was still sitting at the kitchen table, working on logic puzzles now, when Peyton finally came out of her room.

She wordlessly came out into the kitchen and walked over to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup. She sat down at the table opposite Haley and grabbed the front page. She started reading. A few minutes passed and Haley couldn't take it anymore. "Do you need to talk about it?" she asked softly.

Peyton sighed in frustration and threw the paper down. "No, Haley, I don't want to talk about it. That's why I waited until Brooke left to come out of my room."

"But maybe she's right, Peyton. Maybe it would make you feel better."

"Don't Brooke out on me!" Peyton said loudly. Then she sighed. "Look, I know I'm being a bitch right now, and I wish I could apologize, but I'm not sorry. I feel like I deserve a little bit of time to myself, Haley."

Haley nodded slowly. "OK," she said.

"I'm gonna pack a bag this morning and then I'm going to stay at my dad's house," she informed Haley. "He said he should be home Christmas Eve day, which will be great, because we can make Lucas' mom's party together and then we're gonna head to Charlotte to visit my grandparents for Christmas day." Peyton was silent for a minute. "I know you think I'm being unreasonable, Haley. But it's just the way I need to be for a little while."

Haley shook her head. "I don't," she said to Peyton. "I don't think you're being unreasonable. I think you're being _human._ And I think it's OK, and I think that even though you say you _think_ it's OK to be this way for now, you don't really believe it, but it _is_ OK, Peyton. You are entitled to your feelings." Haley saw Peyton's eyes mist up. "Brooke thinks you're going to run," Haley said.

Peyton's eyes flew to Haley's. "What do you think?" she asked.

Haley sighed. "I think that Brooke knows you a lot better than I do, and that even though I don't want to believe her, she might be right."

Peyton nodded slowly. "I'm thinking about it," she said honestly.

"Peyton—"

Peyton shook her head and stood up. "No, Haley. No more conversation." She walked over to the faucet and rinsed her mug, then put it in the sink. "I'll see you when you get home from Maine," Peyton said, walking out of the room.

"Or not, right?" Haley said her voice full of emotion.

Peyton stopped in her tracks. Haley thought she was going to say something, but she didn't. Instead, she picked her pace back up and left the room. Half an hour later, she was gone. Haley walked into Peyton's room and looked around. Her artwork was gone. Haley sat down on Peyton's bed and cried for her. Just like Brooke's had, Haley's heart was breaking for her best friend—and the fact that she wasn't coming back. Life as Haley, Brooke, and Peyton had known it—was gone.

888

Peyton walked to the front door of her father's empty house and dropped her suitcases by the door. She slowly walked up the stairs and then collapsed onto her old bed. Giving in, she let the tears come. She'd let herself have this one night, she decided. But after that, Jake Jagielski was history. She wouldn't ever let herself think about him again.

888

Brooke and Lucas got off the airplane, Lucas holding Laney in his arms. "Daddy! That was so much fun!" Laney said excitedly. "I _love _flying. Can we do it again?" she asked.

Lucas looked at his daughter and grinned. "We sure can," he said.

"When?" she asked, wanting to hold him to his promise.

Lucas laughed. "In three days," he said. "We need to fly back to Tree Hill the day after Christmas."

"Yay!" Laney said, clapping her hands together.

Brooke and Lucas walked into the main part of the airport, and Brooke looked around apprehensively, hoping that her parents had remembered to send a car for her. She was looking for Reginald, her parent's driver, when she heard, "Yoo-hoo! Brookie! Over here!" She slowly turned around and not only was her mother there, but her father was, also. She sighed in relief. At least the trip was starting off well.

"This way," she said to Lucas, taking his hand and pulling him and Laney along behind her. "Hi, Mom," she said when she reached them. "Daddy," she said nervously. After having him as her father for more than 21 years, you'd think she'd know how to act around him, but she really didn't. Being in her father's presence always made Brooke nervous. She nearly fell over when he enveloped her in an enormous hug. "How's my little girl?" he asked heartily, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm OK, Daddy. Are…are you OK?" she asked, pulling away from him and looking him in the eyes. "Are you healthy?" she asked, searching for a reason that her father would be hugging her right now.

"As a horse," he said.

"Good, I'm gla—" she didn't get to finish her sentence, because her mother had pulled her from her father and was squeezing the stuffing out of her. "Mom—" she squeaked.

"Oh, sorry, Brookie," her mom said, releasing her daughter from the hug. "We just haven't seen you in months."

_Which I fully understand, _Brooke thought, _but you've always gone month's without seeing me and I've never gotten this kind of a hug__ before_ Brooke finally remembered her manners. She turned around and took Lucas' hand, which she had lost when her dad had pulled her into that hug. "Mom, Daddy, this is my boyfriend, Lucas," she told them. "And _this_," she said, taking Laney from his arms, "is his daughter, Laney."

"My Lord, she's gorgeous!" Brooke's mother said.

Brooke grinned. "Lucas, these are my parents, Barbie and Rick."

Laney's eyes went wide. "Your mom is _Barbie!_" she exclaimed.

Brooke and Lucas laughed. "Not _that_ Barbie," Brooke explained. "They just have the same name."

"It's nice to meet you, Lucas," her father said, shaking his hand.

Her mom looked at Brooke and nodded exaggeratedly. "He's handsome," she said. "Definitely a keeper."

"Mom!" Brooke said, her cheeks pink.

"Well, sweetheart, he is," he mother declared. "Not bad for the first boy you bring home," she continued with a wink. Brooke's cheeks were no longer pink, they were flaming red.

Lucas laughed. "It's nice to meet you both," he said, embracing Barbie in a hug and saving Brooke from further embarrassment.

After collecting their luggage, they all got into her dad's SUV and started heading for the house Brooke grew up in. They made small talk on the way there, and finally they got to the house. "Barbie, you take the girls and head in, Lucas and I will get the suitcases."

Barbie took Laney from her booster seat and Brooke followed them into the house. Laney chatted with her mom the whole way, so luckily Brooke didn't have to say anything. Not that she could have anyway. What was going on? Her parents had never been like this before. It was like something was off kilter with the universe. When she walked into her house, she was even more confused. Her parents had more Christmas decorations up than Macy's. "Doesn't it look lovely?" her mother asked.

Brooke pasted a fake smile on her face. "Lovely," she agreed.

Brooke took her coat off, and then Laney's and then hung them in the closet. Lucas and her dad came in and brought the suitcases upstairs to Brooke's bedroom, and then her father came down. "Why don't you go on up and help Lucas unpack. Your mother and I will bring Laney into the kitchen for some hot chocolate."

"OK," Brooke said.

Her father pinched her cheeks. "It sure is nice to have you home, Brookie," her father said.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, escaping up the stairs. She couldn't get away from her parents fast enough.

She ran into her room and slammed the door shut behind her, leaning up against it. "Where's Laney?" he asked.

"Oh, my parents took her into the kitchen for hot chocolate," Brooke said in a higher pitched voice than was normal.

Lucas gave her a strange look. "Are you OK, Brooke?"

"I don't think I should've left Laney with my parents," she said.

"Why?" Lucas said, now in a panic of his own.

"Those aren't my parents, Luke. I've never seen them act like that before," she told him.

"Like what?" he asked.

She thought for a minute. "_Loving"_ she said, softly.

"Brooke," he said softly, dropping the clothes he was unpacking on the bed and going to her. He took her in a hug. She started sobbing. "Brooke, what's the matter?" he asked.

"I don't remember the last time my dad hugged me," she wailed.

"Oh, Brooke," he said gently. For the first time in her life, Lucas was glad that Laney was given to dramatics. At least he had a little bit of experience with this.

"And did you see what it looked like downstairs?" she said, still sobbing. "It looks like Christmas walked in and threw up all over the place!" she said. "My parents have never decorated for Christmas before!"

"Well, honey, maybe they're trying something new," he said.

"Yes, but why, Lucas?" she asked rhetorically. "What if one of them is sick? Like terminally ill?"

"They're not sick," Lucas assured her. "They're just—turning over new leaves."

Brooke sighed. "We'd better get everything unpacked so we can go down and rescue Laney."

Lucas finished putting his stuff away, and lay down on the bed on his back. He put his hands up behind his head. "Dear Diary—" he teased. "Today, I got to see what Brooke Davis' bedroom looks like."

Brooke threw the hot pink lacey bra that happened to be in her hand at his face. "Lucas, stop," she said, laughing.

Lucas pulled the bra away from his face and held it up, wiggling his eyebrows. He got up on his knees and crawled toward. "And guess what, diary?" he continued. "I think I'm going to get her into bed!" He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down on her back on the bed. He was leaning over her and started kissing her neck.

Brooke laughed. "I think I wanna read your whole diary," she said, playing along. "If you can score with captain of the cheerleaders, who knows what else you've got in there?"


	16. Chapter 16

For the Naley requesters…

Haley was sitting on the couch in her apartment, sulking while watching the weather channel. Her flight had been scheduled to leave this morning, but there had been a slight change in plans.

From the television set:

And the Nor'easter that has been _pounding _New England for two days now shows no signs of letting up. They're predicting the snow to continue for at least another three solid days! Airports have been closed and there are no plans to reopen them anytime soon. Travelers, you may want to make alternate holiday plans! The East Coast hasn't seen a Nor'easter this bad in December—for decades! Weathermen don't even dare to _guess _how many feet of snow the New Englanders are going to receive for Christmas. It looks like Santa is coming early this year and he's bringing the white stuff with him!

"Just great," Haley muttered aloud. "My parents would have to choose to spend Christmas in Maine of all places this year." She picked up the remote and clicked off the television set, laying down on the couch and snuggling under a blanket.

888

In a house across town, Nathan Scott stood in front of his television set watching the same channel. When the segment was over, he picked up the remote and turned the television off. "Mom? Can you watch Maddie for a little while?" he asked.

"Sure, Nate," his mom said.

He grabbed his jacket out of the closet and headed out the front door.

888

Haley was sitting on the couch doing a logic puzzle when there was a knock at the door. She threw the blanket off her and walked to the door. She opened it, surprised by who was on the other side.

"Nathan," she said.

"Haley," he said back.

"What're you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here to invite you to my house for Christmas," he told her, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

Haley stood there for a moment, speechless. She finally collected her thoughts. She had been ignoring this man for weeks now, and here he was, just inviting her to Christmas like she hadn't been a snotty brat for all that time. "Nathan, thanks for the offer, but I couldn't impose on your Christmas celebration."

"You coming over for Christmas would not be an imposition," he assured her. "You _not_ coming over, on the other hand, would be an imposition of gigantic proportions. I'd be too busy worrying about you to enjoy the season. Plus—I told Maddie you were coming over."

Haley gasped. "That is low, Nathan Scott."

"Thanks!" he said with a grin.

"So not a compliment."

"Didn't think so," he said. "Pack a bag, Hales. I'm not leaving here without you."

Haley opened the door wider so he could come in. She wanted to day no, she really did. But she didn't want to have to spend Christmas alone, and the thought of having a peek into Nathan's family life was too much for Haley to resist. "Have a seat on the couch if you want. I'll be out in just a few minutes."

888

Nathan and Haley walked into Nathan's parent's house and Nathan put her suitcase down by the door so he could take his coat off and hang it up. Haley did the same with her coat. Nathan took it from her and hung it up in the hall closet next to his. He knew it was crazy, but her coat just _looked _better hanging next to his, he thought.

Maddie had come running into the foyer when she heard the front door open. "Daddy!" she said excitedly. "You didn't tell me Haley was coming over!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Haley's eyes flew to Nathan's. "I really wanted you to come, Haley," he said softly, "so…yeah. I lied to get you here. But just in case you didn't, I couldn't disappoint Maddie."

Haley furrowed her brows and smiled hesitantly. "I never thought I'd say this to anyone, but thank you for lying to me. I'm really glad I'm here."

"Me, too, Hales," he said.

"And _I'm _glad you're here, too, Haley," Maddie said.

Haley picked Maddie up in her arms and kissed her on the cheek, then gave her a tight squeeze. "Thanks, Munchkin."

"So, Maddie," Nathan said, "which room do you think we should put Haley in?" he asked.

Maddie thought about it for a minute. "Let's put her in the one next to mine," Maddie said.

"Sounds good," Nathan agreed. He looked at Haley. "Follow me," he said, picking up her suitcase and starting up the stairs.

Haley put Maddie down and the two followed Nathan. They took a left at the top of the stairs, and Nathan stopped at the second door on the right. He opened the door and brought her suitcase in and placed it on the bed. "Feel free to use whatever is in here," he told her. "This is a guest room, so the drawers and closets are empty." He pointed to a door off the bedroom. "And that's your bathroom. It should be fully stocked with the essentials," he told her.

Haley grinned. "Thanks," she told him. "This might just be better than 'roughing it' it Maine."

"Haley!" Maddie said as she climbed up onto the high bed, "this bed is really soft, and it's fun for jumping on!" To demonstrate, Maddie started jumping on the bed.

"That _does _look fun," Haley agreed, laughing.

Nathan leaned over the bed and wrapped an arm around his daughter's waist. "Come on, Mads," he said, picking her up. "Let's let Haley un-pack."

"She can stay while I unpack," Haley said. "I mean—if it's OK with you."

Maddie looked up at Nathan and grinned. Nathan laughed. "OK. I'll see you two in a little bit. Haley, did you have lunch?" he stopped to ask her on his way out.

"No, actually, I didn't," Haley said.

"Maddie and I didn't, either. Maddie, can you bring Haley into the kitchen when you guys are all done up here?"

"Yes," she told her father.

"OK, thanks, Mads." With that, he left the room. Haley looked around the room to admire it. She had never been inside a house this nice before. It was a little unnerving. She was almost afraid to touch anything. Everything looked too perfect and she didn't want to mess it up.

"So, Maddie, are you excited for Santa to come?" Haley asked.

Maddie grinned. "I like presents."

Haley laughed. "I think all little girls like presents," Haley said, taking her undergarments out of her suitcase. After placing them in the top drawer, she turned back around to get her T-shirts. When she saw Maddie, she laughed. All of her clothes were strewn on the bed. There was only one thing in her suitcase. "Maddie, why are you sitting in my suitcase?" she asked, still laughing.

"How come none of your clothes are pink?" Maddie asked.

Haley scrunched up her nose. "Pink isn't exactly my favorite color. I have other colors that I like better."

"You don't like pink?" Maddie exclaimed incredulously.

"Not really," Haley admitted.

"I _love_ pink," Maddie said.

"I can tell," Haley said, taking in Maddie's little blue jeans with pink sequined hearts on them and her matching pink T-shirt with the same sequined heart in the middle. "And you look beautiful in pink," Haley assured her. She shut the last drawer and pulled Maddie out of the suitcase, placed her on the bed, and then put her empty suitcase in the closet. "Want me to French braid your hair?" she asked the little girl.

"Oh, yes!" said Maddie. "I would love that."

Haley took her comb and one of her elastics off the top of the dresser in the room. She sat down on the bed and Maddie crawled up between her legs. Haley listened to the Maddie's chatter as she French braided her hair, taking the time to make sure she got it just right. When she was all done, she leaned over and grabbed her hairspray, and gave Maddie's braid two squirts. "There," she said. "All done."

"Did you forget about lunch?"

Haley looked up to see Nathan standing in the doorway of the room. "I'm sorry. I _did_ forget about lunch," she said.

"Are you guys ready now?" he asked.

"Sure," Haley said.

Maddie jumped up from her spot on the bed. "Daddy, catch me!" she said, running for the edge and jumping into her father's waiting arms. She put a hand to her hair and turned around so her father could see it. "Look, Daddy, Haley fetch braided my hair," she told him.

"French, Mads," he corrected her.

"Do you like it?" she asked him.

"It looks gorgeous, Gorgeous."

Maddie giggled. "Daddy, you said gorgeous two times."

"That's because today, you look twice as beautiful as you usually do," he explained.

Haley followed Nathan as he carried Maddie down the stairs, and they enjoyed a nice, delicious lunch of macaroni and cheese and steamed broccoli.

888

Peyton was leaving one of the stores in the mall after finally returning Jake's last Christmas present when she spotted them. It was Jenny with Jake's parents. Her heart tightened at the sight of the little girl that she loved so much and the thought of her ever calling another woman "Mommy." That, of-course, led to the thought of Jake with another woman, and all of that together was enough to push Peyton even closer to the edge. She was practically sprinting when she heard Jenny yell her name. Peyton debated on ignoring her and just continuing on, but she couldn't do it. Jake may have broken up with her, but she hadn't had a chance to see Jenny one last time. And after today, she might never see her again. That thought was enough to make her stop and turn around with a fake smile plastered upon her face. She started towards Jenny, and she saw her trying to get her hand away from her grandmother's, but because of the crowd, she wasn't loosening her grip on Jenny. When Peyton was finally close enough, Jake's mom let Jenny's hand drop and she ran straight for Peyton's arms. Peyton picked her up and swung her around. "Hey, JJ," Peyton said, using her nickname for the little girl.

Jenny gave Peyton a loud, wet kiss on the cheek and then took Peyton's face in her little hands. "Peyton!" the little girl said in a scolding tone. "Where have you been? I miss you!" she exclaimed.

Peyton hugged the little girl tight and breathed in the smell of her hair. She loved Jenny's little girl smell. "I've just been busy," Peyton lied.

"Daddy said that we won't be seeing you anymore," Jenny said sadly, looking into Peyton's eyes. "He said that you have a lot to do with school and work. You don't have time for us, anymore?"

Just when Peyton thought her heart was completely shattered, she felt another break_. Damn_ _Jake,_ Peyton thought. She had to clear her throat and blink back her tears before she could speak. "I…I have a lot to do," she said, unconvincingly_. And plenty to say_, she thought. But she would never override Jake's decision on what to tell Jenny, no matter how much she wanted to. She knew he loved his daughter, and that whatever he had chosen to tell her, he had put a lot of thought into deciding what it was going to be.

Jakes mother cleared her throat. "Hello, Peyton," she said softly, looking at Peyton with sympathy in her eyes.

Peyton looked at Jake's mother, and the fake smile that had become so familiar to her over the last day and a half returned. "Hello, Mrs. Jagielski. How are you?" Peyton asked.

She ignored Peyton's question. "How are _you?_" she said instead.

Peyton nodded her head, cuddling up to Jenny, whose head was now on her shoulder. The little girl felt so warm. Peyton hadn't felt so warm in days. "I'm OK," she lied.

"Peyton Sawyer, don't you dare lie to me," Jake's mother said sternly. She turned to her husband. "Take Jenny with you and meet me at the food court when I call you," she told him.

Peyton was bordering on hysteria realizing that this was the last time she might ever see Jenny. But she was trying hard not to let the little girl see it. She squeezed her tightly, and then put her down, kneeling in front of her. She gently took Jenny's upper arms. "Jenny Jagielski, I love you to pieces," Peyton told her, with all the emotion in her voice that she was feeling.

Jenny just looked up at her and nodded her head. "I love you, too, P. Sawyer," she said quietly, using the nickname that she'd adopted from Brooke. Peyton gave her one last hug and then Jake's father took her hand and led her away.

Jake's mom put her arm around Peyton's shoulders. "Coffee?" she asked.

Peyton nodded wordlessly and let her lead her to the food court. Peyton had a seat at one of the only empty tables while Jake's mom got them their drinks. She finally returned to the table. "I hate holiday lines!" she said.

Peyton just smiled weakly. Jake's mom took her hand and Peyton pulled it away, putting both her hands around her Styrofoam coffee cup. She could feel Jake's mother looking at her expectantly. She finally couldn't take the silence anymore. "I'm gonna miss Jenny," Peyton said.

Jake's mother nodded. "I'm sure you are. And she'll miss you," she said. Peyton's eyes misted up and Jake's mom decided to change the subject. "If it's any consolation, Jake isn't taking this very well, either."

Peyton lifted her head and her eyes met Jake's mothers. "I know you're trying to be helpful, Mrs. Jagielski," Peyton said softly, her voice full of emotion, "but in all honesty, I don't wanna know how Jake's doing."

"Peyton—"

"This was a bad idea," Peyton said, standing up. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jagielski, but I have to go. Thank-you for the coffee."

Peyton pushed her way through the crowd and made it to her car without one tear falling. When she got into her car, they tried to come, but she wouldn't let them. She refused to cry for the jerk even one more time.

When she got home, she finally acted on her decision. She called UCLA and she called her friend, Rachel, and just like that, arrangements were made. Her last call was to the airport. She was put on stand-by for the day after Christmas. She could wait for five days after and was guaranteed a flight, but she didn't want to wait that long. She'd take her chances with stand-by and pray like crazy in the meantime.


	17. Chapter 17

_I'm so sorry that this chapter is so long, but in this story, Christmas is tomorrow, and there's so much that needs to happen before Christmas, so I have to cram it all in. Also--I just wanted to say thanks so much for your reviews! Enjoy!_

Brooke called Peyton's cell phone, but once again, it went straight to her voicemail. "Hey, Peyton. It's me. I—"Brooke sighed. "I really need to talk to you, buddy. I need to know that you're OK. Not that you actually are, but I just need to hear your voice, Peyton. I'm really worried about you. I mean—listen to me—I'm rambling like Haley. That really should tell you something. I love you, P. Sawyer. Call me." Brooke closed her phone and returned to the kitchen, where her mother was preparing supper. Brooke had never tasted her mother's cooking before and was wondering how _that_ was going to turn out. They were alone as her father, Lucas, and Laney had left to go pick out a Christmas tree.

"Everything OK?" her mother asked, as Brooke sat down on a stool at the huge island in the middle of the kitchen. Brooke burst into tears, and her mother immediately went to her and put an arm around her. "Honey, what's wrong?" Barbie asked her daughter.

"Peyton's boyfriend broke up with her on the same day that she was going to ask him to marry her, Mom," she said, sobbing.

"Oh, honey," her mother said. "That's awful."

"And that's not the worst of it, Mom!" Brooke said. "Which one of you is dying?" she demanded to know.

Her mother took a step back. "Honey, what are you _talking_ about?" her mother asked.

"Oh, come on, Mom," Brooke said, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. "You and Daddy have spent more time with me in the last day and a half than you did in my entire life up to now! _What_ is going on?"

Her mother sighed and looked down at her feet, as if she were ashamed. "We're trying to make up for lost time," she said quietly. "We realize now that we missed a lot of time with you, and we want to make up for that."

"You do realize that I'm in college now, right? All the way across the country?" she reminded her mother.

Her mother looked up at her and nodded slowly. "Yes, and that's why we're moving to Tree Hill," she said.

Brooke smiled in surprise. And confusion. Mostly confusion. "What?" she asked, fairly certain she hadn't heard correctly.

"We've decided to move to Tree Hill, Brooke."

"Why?" Brooke asked snootily.

"We want to be there for you," her mother told her.

"That's nice Mom, but it would have been a hell of a lot nicer in junior high. Or high school," she said honestly. "I have a life now. My own life. I'm an adult and to be honest, I don't even need you," she said, lifting her chin defiantly.

"Our therapist said you might react this way," her mother said knowingly.

"What?"

"We're seeing a therapist, Brooke."

"Why? Are you and daddy having marriage problems?" Brooke asked.

Her mother shook her head. "Have you ever woken up one day and realized that life didn't turn out the way you planned?"

Brooke laughed bitterly and nodded her head.

"Or that _you _aren't who you wanted be?" her mother continued. "Believe me, Brooke, when I was thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up, it certainly wasn't an absentee mother, but here we are. And that's exactly what I became. I don't want to be that person anymore."

"Do you really think you can change that _now_?" Brooke asked.

"Honestly—I don't know. But I know that I won't be happy unless I try, Brooke. I want to be everything I never was while you were growing up," she said, tears in her eyes.

Brooke sighed. After the way she'd grown up, it was hard to feel any sympathy for her mother regarding this. "That's fine, Mom. You need to do what you need to do. But please—no more sticky sweetness. I think I'm getting a toothache," Brooke joked. "I need you to be _you,_ not Carol Brady."

"Eww," her mother said. "I would _never_ be Carol Brady. You would never catch me with a haircut like _that!_"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Mom!"

"Sorry," her mother said.

There was a knock on the door and Brooke jumped down from the stool. "That must be Rachel," she said. "I called her earlier and she said she was going to stop by today."

She continued to the door and opened it. "Hey, bitch," her read-headed friend greeted her, whipping off her sunglasses. "How the hell are ya?"

Brooke grabbed Rachel and pulled her into a hug. "Oh, I'm OK now that you're here. I miss you so much!" Brooke said, pulling away. "You look great!" Brooke said. "Something looks different, but I… can't… put my finger on it."

"It's my nose," Rachel told her, moving her head slowly from side to side so Brooke could get a better look. "Do you like it?"

Brooke laughed. "I do like it. But just for the record, I didn't think anything was wrong with your old nose," she told her friend.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "So, are you gonna invite me in, or what?"

Brooke sighed. "I am, but…just so you know, you aren't the only one who's changed," Brooke said.

Rachel walked through the door and closed it behind her, then followed Brooke up the stairs. They sat down on Brooke's bed and Brooke told Rachel the story of her 'new' parents.

"Killer," Rachel said.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"So, what's going on with Peyton?" Rachel asked.

"Why are you asking me that?"

Rachel sighed. "She called me this morning. She's coming back to UCLA for the spring semester."

Brooke's eyes filled with tears and she bit her lip to keep from crying.

"Brooke, what's going on?"

Brooke told Rachel the entire tale, shedding more than a few tears throughout the story.

"What a jerk," Rachel said.

Brooke nodded her head in agreement. "She's devastated, Rachel. And now so am I. I can't imagine my life without Peyton being right there beside me! She's part of the reason I moved to Tree Hill."

"I know," Rachel said softly.

Brooke shook her head and sighed. "Dammitt! I _knew_ she would run."

"At least she's coming here," Rachel said, trying to console Brooke. "She won't be alone, Brooke. She has friends here."

"I know," Brooke said, more tears flowing. "And I _am_ thankful for that. I'm just _really_ gonna miss her."

"I know you are," Rachel said. There was a pause. "So, tell me about this _Lucas_," she said, changing the subject.

Brooke smiled as she told Rachel about her boyfriend and his daughter. When Brooke was done, Rachel looked at her watch and stood up. "Speaking of boyfriends, I have to go," Rachel said.

"Rachel Gatina! You did _not_ go monogamous on me!" Brooke said excitedly.

Rachel shrugged. "I'll never tell," she teased. "Call me before you leave. Maybe we can get together for lunch and I can meet Lucas and you can meet my man," she said.

"That would be great," Brooke said, getting up from the bed and following Rachel down the stairs.

"Brooke, don't worry about Peyton," Rachel said. "I'll take good care of her," she promised.

Brooke smiled weakly. "I know you will," she said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"It was so good to see you!" Brooke said, giving her friend one last hug.

"You, too," Rachel agreed. "I'll see you soon." Brooke watched as Rachel walked away, and was so thankful for her friend. She knew Peyton would be in good hands.

888

Jake sighed as he sat at the kitchen table trying to balance his checkbook. He'd been at it for the last half hour, but he couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was Peyton. Had he made the right choice? He wasn't so sure now. Maybe Lucas was right. Maybe he should've been straight up with her. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He tried to force his mind on the task at hand, but he just couldn't do it. He was thankful when Jenny ran into the room and climbed up onto the chair next to him. She had a piece of blank paper in her hand.

"Daddy, is it too late to write Santa another letter?" Jenny asked.

Jake nodded his head. "I think so, honey, He wouldn't get it before he comes tomorrow night," he explained.

"Oh," Jenny said sadly, hanging her head.

Jake couldn't imagine that whatever it was he hadn't already gotten it for her. Between him and his parents, they'd bought just about every little girl toy on the planet. "What did you want to ask him for?"

"I wanted him to bring Peyton some more time, Daddy, because if she had more time, she could spend it with _us_," she reasoned.

"Jenny—" he started, but she interrupted him.

"Can't we write him a letter and send it anyway? Just in case he gets it?" she pleaded with her father.

Jake shook his head no. "Santa won't get it in time, Honey," he told her.

"But, Daddy," his daughter said, her eyes filling with tears. "I _want_ Peyton."

"We can't have Peyton, Jenny," he told her.

"But, Daddy," Jenny continued. "Can't we go to the store? He was there yesterday when I went with Grammie and Grampie!" she said quickly. "I could go tell him that I don't _need_ another baby doll, but I really _need_ Peyton."

"No," Jake said firmly.

"But, Daddy—"

"Jenny, I said no!" Jake said, his voice raised. "Peyton doesn't belong to us!"

Jenny started crying, probably a combination of missing Peyton and him raising his voice at her, he thought, because it was something he never did.

"Jenny, I'm sorry," he said. She just cried louder. "Come here," he said, trying to calm her down. She shook her head furiously. "I don't want _you_, Daddy, I want Peyton!" she wailed.

Jake sighed and started rubbing his temples, listening to Jenny sob. His daughter wouldn't even look at him and he'd broken up with his perfect girlfriend. The worst part was—he'd brought it all on himself. Merry frickin' Christmas to him.

888

Peyton looked at caller ID on her cell phone and recognized it as a number she'd known since high school. But Peyton still didn't want to talk to anyone, so she let it go to voicemail. When it beeped to let her know there was a message, she called in to get it. "Hey, Peyt, it's Lucas," she heard. "I know that things aren't going so well for you right now, and I just wanted to let you know that I'm here if you need me. Brooke is really worried about you, Peyton, and so am I. At least call to let us know that you're OK. Bye, Peyt."

Peyton closed her phone and sighed. She figured the least she could do was call Lucas to let him know that while she wasn't necessarily OK, she was alive. That way he could pass it on to Brooke and Peyton wouldn't have to play 20 questions. She opened her phone and dialed Lucas' number. He picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Peyt," he said. "I'm glad you called back."

"I'm just calling to let you know that I'm OK," Peyton said.

"I'm glad," Lucas said. There was a pause. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

Peyton rolled her eyes on her end of the phone. "You know what, Lucas? Talking is way overrated. I'm all set, but thanks."

"Ok," Lucas said cautiously. "Then I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Oh, really? What's that?" Peyton asked, thankful for the change of subject.

"Well," Lucas continued, "since we've been friends forever and since you're best friends with Brooke, I wanted you to be one of the first people to know that I'm gonna ask Brooke to marry me," he told her. There was only silence on the other end of the line. Definitely not the reaction he was hoping for. "Peyt? You still there?" he asked after a few seconds.

He heard Peyton clear her throat. "Yeah, I'm still here. That's great, Lucas," she told him. "You guys are gonna be so happy together."

"Thanks," Lucas said. "I think so, too. So, I was wondering if I could enlist your help," he said.

"Sure," Peyton said.

"I know how girls talk," he said. "And I was wondering if you guys had ever talked about how you'd like to be proposed to. I want this to be perfect for Brooke."

Peyton swallowed past the lump in her throat, and all she could think about was how unmerciful this world was. "Yeah, we have," she told him, and then continued to tell him how Brooke had always dreamed of being proposed to. When she was finished, she hung up the phone and then went to the desk in her old bedroom. She opened the top drawer and pulled out some pencils and an old sketch pad. She needed an outlet.

888

Nathan and his father had left to go find the biggest Christmas tree that they could possibly find, and Haley was left with Maddie and Nathan's mom, Deb. Maddie was in front of the television watching a Christmas movie, and Deb had dug out the photo albums and she and Haley were looking through them. Haley saw lots of pictures of Nathan as a little boy—he was adorable with his jet black hair and bright blue eyes, and Maddie looked just like he had. Then they got to pictures of Maddie, and Haley saw tons of pictures of Nathan and Maddie, or Deb and Dan and Maddie, but none of Maddie with her mother. Curiosity got the best of her. "Do you have any pictures of Maddie with her mother?" Haley asked.

Deb looked at Haley with a confused look on her face. "No. We…don't…have any pictures of Maddie's mother."

Haley thought this was a bit harsh considering the woman had give birth to her. "Oh. Did she die in childbirth?" Haley asked softly

Deb's look got even more confused. "No," she told Haley. "She gave birth to Maddie and then left," Deb said.

"But I thought that Maddie's mom passed away," Haley said, now even more confused than Deb.

"Oh, no," Deb said, "she left took off right after Maddie was born. She didn't even name her." Deb shrugged. "Nathan destroyed any pictures that we had of her after we brought Maddie home from the hospital."

"I didn't know," Haley said softly. "I just…I can't imagine anyone willingly leaving Maddie…or Nathan," she admitted.

Deb smiled softly. "Neither can I," she said. "But it's good to hear someone say it, because I've always thought that I'm a bit partial. She never even held her," Deb confided. "She just gave birth, and then checked herself out of the hospital against medical advice."

Haley smiled weakly, wishing that the pictures hadn't been destroyed. She would have liked to have done that herself. Deb shut the photo album and took her mug of hot chocolate off the coffee table and settled back onto the couch. "Do you realize that you're the first woman Nathan has brought home in years? He hasn't brought anyone home since he told us that Laura was pregnant with Maddie. This is a huge step for him," she shared with Haley.

Haley laughed nervously. "Mrs. Scott, Nathan and I are just friends."

"Yeah, so are Dan and I," Deb joked.

"But we are," Haley insisted.

"You may be just friends, Haley, but I know my son. And he isn't planning on letting it stay that way for long."

Haley blushed at the turn the conversation had taken.

"Are you not attracted to Nathan?" she asked.

"Oh, no, I'm definitely attracted to him," Haley said without meaning to. "I just—I'm really trying to concentrate on school right now. Next year is going to be my last year, and I just don't want anything to distract me from that," she explained.

Deb nodded her head knowingly. "If you say so," she said.

"But—" Haley started, but was cut off from the sound of the front door opening.

"If we move it _this _way, we can carry it in sideways to the living room and it'll be easier to set up," they heard one of them say.

"Yes, but if we push it through the door like this," the other one said, "we can then stand it straight up and it'll be easier to get it in there."

Deb and Haley got up off the couch and walked into the foyer. "Maddie, your dad's back with the tree," Haley called over her shoulder. They heard the pitter patter of little feet as she came running in behind them. Deb and Haley stopped in the doorway and when Maddie started to run between them, Haley picked her up and put her on her hip to keep her out of the way.

"Daddy! That is the biggest tree I've ever seen!" she screamed in a high pitched voice, beyond excited.

Nathan laughed. "It is a pretty big tree," he agreed, as he and his father maneuvered it into the living room. They women got out of the way and just watched as the men got the tree into the living room and into its stand, finally getting it to stand up straight. "There," Nathan said, as he looked at the tree. He took his coat off and hung it in the closet. Maddie was dancing around the tree exclaiming in excitement. "Did you get the biggest one on the lot?" Deb asked her husband.

"Only the best for my baby," he told her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him.

"I didn't even think it was going to fit through the front door!" she told him; as his lips came down to capture hers in a quick kiss.

Haley couldn't help but feel as though she were witnessing a private moment, so she went into the kitchen where she had seen Nathan go a moment ago. "Nice tree," she said.

Nathan wiped his hands on a dish towel and then turned around, leaning against the sink. "Like that, do ya?"

Haley nodded, "we never had a tree that big when I was growing up," she explained. While she was talking, she suddenly remembered the conversation she had had with Deb, and she could feel her cheeks starting to get red. "I mean—we always had a tree, but since there were so many of us and we all needed to fit into the living room—it had to be a fairly small sized tree. And I'll never forget one year—"

"Haley," he interrupted her, "why are your cheeks red?" Nathan asked.

"Are my cheeks red?" Haley asked, fully aware that they were.

"Yeah, they are," he said, "and you know what I like?" he said, walking towards her.

"What?" she asked hesitantly.

"Bright red cheeks," he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to him.

He put his hands on her cheeks. "Are you feeling OK?" he asked, suddenly concerned. "You feel like a furnace."

_All thanks to you,_ she thought to herself. "Yeah, I feel fine," she assured him.

"Good," he told her, "I'd hate to have you sick on Christmas."

"Well, I'd hate to be sick on Christmas," she told him. "One year, on Christmas, I was sick, and-"

"Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you be quiet for just one second so I can kiss you?" Nathan demanded, more than asked.

"Nathan, I'm not so sure that's a good idea," she said quickly.

"I didn't ask you if you thought it was a good idea," he said, lowering his head.

Haley took a deep breath, readying herself for another round of 'don't kiss me's,' but when she inhaled, all she could smell was Nathan, all woodsy and manly. Suddenly she could think of nothing _but _kissing him. Haley felt her arms go up around his neck of their own accord and her eyelids slowly shut. She felt his breath on her lips, and then the sound of the kitchen door opening caused Haley's eyes to fly open and jump back, but she didn't get far, because Nathan's arms were around her waist.

Deb stopped in her tracks. "Umm…I was just going to tell you that now would be a good time to get Maddie in her pajamas. Your dad and I can trim the tree while you do that, and then we can all decorate it together."

"Good idea, Mom," Nathan said, never taking his eyes off Haley's. "Be waiting for it," he whispered in her ear before he dropped his arms from around her waist and walked out of the room. Haley slowly licked her lips and lifted her eyes to his mother's knowing gaze.

Deb grinned. "You guys are doing a _really_ great job at being friends," she told Haley, putting air quotes around the word friends.

Haley blushed. "Umm…I need to make a phone call," she said, quickly grabbing the cordless phone from its base and running up the stairs to the bedroom she was occupying. She had left the apartment without her cell when Nathan had picked her up. Once upstairs, she shut the door to her bedroom, leaned up against it and sighed, knowing that she had just missed out on what would have been one amazing kiss. At the thought of Nathan's last comment, Haley smiled to herself. She would definitely be waiting.

She walked to her bed and sat down on it, dialing Peyton's cell. She didn't expect Peyton to answer, but she at least wanted her friend to know that she was still thinking about her. As she had expected, it went to Peyton's voicemail. "Hey, Peyt. It's me, Hales. _Still_ missing you. And just wanting you to know that I'm thinking about you and that I'm here. I love you. Bye." Haley hung up the phone and dropped it on the bed next to her, her mind still occupied with thoughts of her friend. Or at least they were until the banging on her bedroom door started. Maybe Nathan was here to collect, she thought. She walked to the door and opened it.

"What the hell did you say to my daughter?" Nathan demanded, holding a pair of pink princess pajama's in one of his hands.

Haley took a step back. "What…what do you mean?" she asked.

"She is running around her room in her panties insisting that she won't put anything on that is pink because _you _don't like pink."

Haley started laughing.

"You think this is funny?" Nathan asked, seriously. "All of her pajamas are pink!"

Haley cleared her throat and straightened up. "Oh, no," she said. "I…think that this is of the _utmost_ importance," she said.

"Haley, 95 percent of my daughter's wardrobe is _pink_," he reminded her, "because up until today, she would wear nothing _but_." He threw the pajamas at Haley. "Fix this!" he said.

She probably should have been a little scared of Nathan, but it was hard when he had been holding a pair of pink pajama's in his hands. She tried desperately not to laugh and walked into Maddie's room. "Hey, Maddie," Haley said. "What are you doing?'

"I'm putting all of my pink clothes in a pile so I can throw them away," she told Haley, not even looking up.

"Why?" Haley asked.

"Mmm…I don't think I like pink," Maddie said.

"But pink is your power color," Haley said matter of factly.

Maddie stopped what she was doing and looked at Haley. "My what?" she asked.

"Your _power_ color," Haley said.

"What's a power color?" Maddie asked.

"It's a color that makes you feel really good."

"Well what's _your _power color?" Maddie asked.

Haley looked down at her turquoise shirt and pointed to it. "This is," she told Maddie, sitting down on the floor. "Come on," she said to Maddie, "let's get your pajamas on you."

Maddie walked over to Haley and Haley started putting her pajama's on her. "But maybe _that_ color is _my_ power color, too," Maddie said, pointing to Haley shirt after Haley got her pajama top on her.

"Oh, no way," Haley said.

"How come?" Maddie asked.

Haley leaned over to Maddie's vanity and grabbed a handheld princess mirror. "Look at your eyes," Haley instructed. Maddie took a minute to study her eyes. "See how they shine?" Haley asked and Maddie nodded. "They only shine when you're wearing your power color," Haley explained.

"Wow! They really are shining, Haley!" Maddie said excitedly.

Haley nodded. "And tell me the truth, don't you feel better now that you have your _pink _pajama's on?"

Maddie thought about it for a minute. "I think I _do_ feel better," she said. "Pink really _is _my power color!" she exclaimed.

_Thank God! _Haley thought. "Let's pick these clothes up and go decorate the tree," she said. They put Maddie's clothes back into the drawers, and then went down into the living room. Nathan's eyes met Haley's as she walked in and she saw him sigh in relief.


	18. Chapter 18

Lucas woke up at five in the morning when he heard Brooke get out of bed. She went into the bathroom, and a few minutes later, she came out. She walked over to Lucas and started shaking him. "Lucas!" she whispered, because Laney was sleeping in between them in the bed. "Wake up."

He rolled over. "I'm already awake," he whispered. "I heard you get up. _Why_ are you up?"

She sighed. "I tried calling Haley all day yesterday, and there was no answer at home or on her cell. So I tried her parents, and they said that all the flights coming into Maine were cancelled. That means she's gonna be all alone for Christmas, Lucas. And I can't get a hold of her. Can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need me to do?" he asked on a sigh, seeing a few more hours of sleep disappear before him.

"Can you call Nathan and ask him to go check the apartment to make sure everything is OK?"

"You want to _Nathan_ to check on her?"

"Yes," Brooke said.

"All right," Lucas said, getting up out of bed. His tone indicated that he didn't think that was the best idea. They both went into the bathroom off of Brooke's room so they wouldn't disturb Laney's slumber.

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Nathan Scott was in a full-on panic. He couldn't find his daughter anywhere. He knew she had to be in the house _somewhere_, but he didn't know where. After checking everywhere, he decided that he'd have to wake Haley up to enlist her help since she was the only other one home. He slowly opened the door to the guest bedroom she was occupying and immediately sighed in relief. Lying fast asleep under the covers was Haley. Next to her, Maddie was sitting on her knees just staring at her.

"Madelyn Camilla Scott!" Nathan whispered, trying to sound scolding.

She put a finger to her lips to shush him. "Haley's still sleeping, Daddy," she whispered. "Doesn't she look like a _real live_ princess?" his daughter asked.

_One that's waiting for her prince,_ he thought. Instead of answering, he walked over to the bed and picked Maddie up. "Maddie, you can't run off like that," he told her gently. "I was really worried when I couldn't find you."

"But Daddy," she said, "I was in here the _whole _time."

Nathan was heading for the door when he heard Haley groan and the bed sheets rustle to signal her moving around.

"Good morning, Haley!" Maddie yelled.

Haley shot straight up in bed. "What are you doing in here?" she asked when she saw Nathan.

"I was looking for my daughter," Nathan told her. "I couldn't find her anywhere, so I came in to ask you to help me look for her."

"But I was in here with you," Maddie said. "Do you know that you look like a real live princess when you sleep?"

Haley laughed and stretched at the same time. Nathan noticed the spots that her T-shirt hugged when she moved and he had to look up at the ceiling to keep from staring. "What time is it?" Haley asked.

"Eight-thirty," Nathan told her, meeting her eyes.

"Daddy, put me down now, please," Maddie told him.

Nathan did as his daughter asked and she ran over to Haley's bed and jumped up on it. She sat there looking at Haley. Haley looked at her and grinned. "Wanna cuddle?" she asked.

Maddie grinned shyly and nodded. Haley grabbed her hand and pulled her under the covers with her.

"Want some coffee?" he asked.

Haley looked up. "Sure," she said. "I'll be right down."

"No, that's OK. I'll bring it up," he told her.

"Thanks."

"How do you take it?"

"One cream and two sugars," she told him.

He nodded his head and started to walk out of the room. "Daddy, can you bring me a hot chocolate with a candy cane in it?" Maddie asked.

He turned back around. "That's an awful lot of sugar first thing in the morning," he told her.

She didn't miss a beat. "But Haley gets to have two sugars," she argued.

Haley laughed and Nathan gave her a warning look. "Please, Daddy?" Maddie pleaded.

"Yeah, come on, Daddy," Haley joined in, her arms wrapped around his daughter.

_Oh, this two against one was so unfair,_ Nathan thought. _Especially when they were his two favorite females._ He sighed in resignation. "Two bucket loads of sugar coming right up," he said. "But don't expect this every morning, Maddie," he warned her.

He started walking out of the room. "Stick with me, kid, and we'll get you that sugar every morning," he heard Haley say, followed by the sound of his daughters giggles. He grinned all the way to the kitchen.

As he was pouring coffee for Haley and himself, his mother came into the kitchen carrying two grocery bags. She set them on the counter. "Need some help?" he asked.

"No, thanks," his mother said. "Your dad's getting the rest from the car. There are only a few more. How'd you sleep?"

"Great. The same way I always do when I come home," he said. It hadn't always been that way, but in the last few years, his dad had changed for the better, and Nathan's relationship had improved with him drastically. He wished it had been that way when he was growing up, but it hadn't been, and instead of dwelling on the past, Nathan tried to appreciate the present. He popped Maddie's water in the microwave for a few seconds to make it just barely warm and then took it out to put the cocoa mix in it. He fussed with the candy cane wrapper and finally got it open, placing it in Maddie's hot chocolate. He carefully made his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs slowly, carrying the three mugs. When he walked into Haley's room, she and his daughter were sitting up against the mountain of pillows on the bed.

"And we can paint my toenails today?" Maddie asked, excited. "Red and white? Just like a candy cane?"

Haley nodded. "If it's OK with your daddy," Haley said.

Nathan looked up from the nightstand where he had just placed Haley's steaming coffee mug. "It's fine with me," he said. "As long as I don't have to do it."

"But daddy, Haley could do mine, I could do yours, and you could do Haley's!" she said, clapping her hands.

Nathan laughed. "Thanks for the offer, Mads, but I have to do some manly stuff today," he told her.

"Like what?" his daughter asked.

"I have to go shopping," he said, fully aware of masculine it _wasn't_. Just the thought of the last minute things he needed was enough to make him ill.

"I love shopping!" Maddie said. "Can I come?"

Nathan shook his head, and handed his daughter her half full hot chocolate mug. "Today is your day to make Christmas cookies with Grammie," he reminded her.

"For Auntie Karen's party?" she asked

"Yep," he said.

"Oh, they're going to be so beautiful," Maddie said dreamily.

Nathan laughed and sat down on the bed beside Maddie. "Did you sleep OK?" he asked Haley.

"Are you kidding?" she asked, pulling her coffee mug away from her lips. "I slept so well! This bed is amazing."

"Good," Nathan said.

"Would you mind if I tag along while you shop?" Haley asked him. "I have a few things that I need to get, too," she said.

"Sure," Nathan said. "I'll probably leave in an hour or so. We need to go early because we're going to Lucas' mom's Christmas party tonight. It usually starts at around five," he told her.

"Sounds good," Haley said.

"Nathan!" they heard his father yell from the bottom of the stairs. "Telephone!"

Nathan stood up. "Be right back," he said, walking out of the room. He went down stairs and took the cordless from his father. "It's your brother," his father told him, and Nathan nodded.

"Hey, Luke. What's up?" he said into the phone.

"Hey, Little Brother," Lucas said. "I need you to do something for me," he said.

"Sure," Nathan agreed.

"Brooke has tried and tried to get a hold of Haley," Lucas said, obviously worried. "There's no answer. Brooke is freaking out. Haley isn't answering the house phone or her cell, and all flights to Maine have been cancelled, so Haley's going to be alone on Christmas. Can you just go check on her to make sure she's OK?" he asked.

"Relax," Nathan told his brother. "Haley's here."

"What?" Lucas asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I was just in bed with her," Nathan said.

The line went dead silent. "Dude, you're sleeping with Haley?" Lucas asked.

"No!" Nathan denied, realizing just what he had said and how it had sounded. "Not _that_ kind of in bed with her. She was sleeping and your niece went in and woke her up, so I brought her up some coffee. No, we are _not_ sleeping together," he clarified again.

"Nathan Scott! You got Haley into bed?!" Brooke screeched. At her tone, Nathan had to pull the receiver away from his ear. Obviously she had wrestled the phone away from Lucas. "Nathan, are you there?" he heard her ask in her normal voice.

"Brooke, I can't hold the phone to my ear when you screech like that."

"What is going on, Nathan?" Brooke demanded.

"No one should be alone at Christmas, Brooke," he said softly.

There was a pause. "Thanks, Nathan."

"You're welcome," he said, "but I didn't do it for you, Brooke."

"I know," she told him. "You did it for Haley. But thank-you, anyway. I hope you have a good Christmas, Nathan," she said, before hanging up the phone. She looked at Lucas. "I think your brother is my second favorite man on the planet," she told Lucas softly.

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Lucas, Laney, and Brooke were in Brooke's bed when there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Are you guys up?" they heard Brooke's mom say.

"Yeah, come on in, Mom," Brooke said.

The door opened and Barbie and Rick walked in. "We were wondering if Laney wanted to go out to breakfast with us," Barbie said.

Luke looked at his daughter and she nodded eagerly. "Just give me a few minutes to get her ready," he said to Brooke's parents.

They left the room and Lucas got Laney ready to go and brought her downstairs to Brooke's parents. "We'll be back in a little while," Barbie promised.

Lucas picked Laney up and gave her an exaggerated kiss on the cheek. She giggled. "Be good for Brooke's parents, OK?" he said.

Laney nodded solemnly. "I will be, Daddy," she promised.

"OK," Luke said, passing her to Rick. He watched as the left and then went back upstairs and crawled back on the bed beside Brooke.

"Do you realize what just happened?" she asked.

"What?" he returned.

"My parents totally dissed us. The invited Laney out for breakfast without even asking us if we wanted to go. Do you think they like her better than they like us?" Brooke asked with a smile on her face.

"Hmmm. it's like they're _begging_ us to have sex while we're alone in the house," Lucas said with a gleam in his eyes.

"Lucas," she said, hitting him on the chest.

"I only need five minutes," he said to persuade her.

Her eyes danced. "Well, I only need two," she said.

Lucas laughed. "Oh, baby, that makes me sound so good," he told her, laughing.

"Hey, it's all your doing," she said.

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Haley and Nathan had just returned from the mall and after putting her packages in Haley's room, Haley walked out the front door and headed to Peyton's house. It was within walking distance, which was a good thing, since Haley had left her car back at her apartment. Within 10 minutes, Haley had reached Peyton's front door and knocked. A man who she didn't recognize opened the door. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Hi," Haley said, smiling, "you must be Peyton's dad. My name is Haley. I'm one of Peyton's roommates. Is she here?" Haley asked.

"Yes, she is. And it's nice to meet you, Haley," he said. "Do you know where her room is?" he asked.

"I do," Haley said, as he opened the door to let her in. "It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Sawyer." Haley disappeared up the stairs and heard the music before she even got to Peyton's bedroom door. She knocked softly.

"Come in," she heard Peyton call.

Haley opened the door and a surprised Peyton sat up on her bed. "Haley," she said.

"Air Supply?" Haley asked.

"What can I say?" Peyton asked, smiling. "I'm All Out of Love."

Haley laughed. "I love to see that smile on your face," Haley said.

"So, what are you doing here, Hales?" Peyton asked. "I thought you were flying to Maine for Christmas."

"Well, I was," Haley said. "But since it's snowing like crazy, all the flights have been cancelled."

"You're going to be alone on Christmas?" Peyton asked.

Haley grinned and shook her head. "You will never believe where I stayed last night. And where I'll be staying tonight," she said tauntingly.

As Haley sat down on the bed beside Peyton, she grabbed Haley's forearms. "Where?" she asked excitedly.

"Nathan's," Haley said.

"How'd that happen?" Peyton questioned.

"Honestly—I'm still not sure," Haley told her. "I just know that it did."

"Did you guys—?"

"Oh, God, no," Haley said. "We're just friends," she insisted.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, James."

"We are!" Haley said again.

As Haley and Peyton engaged in their usual banter, Haley was overcome with relief. This was the first time in days when she actually thought that Peyton was going to be OK. _Maybe Brooke was wrong,_ Haley thought. _Maybe Peyton wasn't going __to run._

After making plans to see each other at Karen's party, Haley left Peyton's to return to the Scott household.

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"Oh," Brooke said on a sigh. "That was amazing." She slapped Luke on the chest and grinned. "And you? 20 minutes. Wow."

He grinned and nodded his head slowly, lying on his side, one hand holding his head up. "And you, under a minute."

Brooke laughed and blushed. "Are you gonna keep track from now on? Because if you are, I won't be able to concentrate," she told him.

Lucas laughed. "No, no keeping score," he said. "As long as we both...win, I'll be OK," he assured her.

"Good," she said, starting to sit up, but Lucas grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down onto the bed. She sighed. "Again?"

Lucas smiled. "No, not that…" he said, trailing off.

"Then what?" she asked.

He gave a deep sigh. "I realize that I'm risking losing all of my masculinity in this one question…but…Brooke, do you love me?" he asked.

Brooke sighed. "Lucas, that's a fair question and I…"

"That sounds like a no," he said harshly, standing up and heading for the bathroom for a shower.

Brooke jumped up off the bed and ran so she was standing in front of him. "It wasn't a no!" she said quickly and fiercely. He stopped where he was, crossed his arms, and cocked an eyebrow at her as if he didn't believe her.

"OK, so the thing is," she started, "you set the bar really high, Lucas."

"What does _that _mean?" he asked loudly.

She gave him a dirty look in defiance, and then her face softened as she realized this wasn't the time to be defiant. Lucas was being self-conscious, and looking adorable while doing it. This was time for her to step up and make sure her boyfriend knew how much he meant to her.

"When you told me you loved me," she explained. "It was perfect, Lucas. And I—I keep waiting for _my_ perfect moment to tell _you_, but it just hasn't happened yet. And now I'm afraid that it won't happen. I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait—and that I'll be waiting for nothing because it'll never be perfect. It'll never be the right moment to tell you. And I'm afraid to tell you, too," she admitted.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, Lucas," she said. "I," she sighed. "I could love you forever and I'm afraid to tell you that because…I'm afraid that it's going to freak you out. I'm afraid that forever is going to freak you out."

Luke grinned and pulled her to him. "To be honest, forever is _really _turning me on."

She laughed. "I can _tell_," she said, looking down at Lucas' naked body.

"And if you want my opinion," he continued, "I think this is the perfect time."

"You do?" she asked, "because this isn't how I pictured it. I kind of pictured us on the beach, and I'd be wearing a hot bikini, and you'd be looking at me with all of this lust in your eyes, and then I'd—"

"Brooke!"

"Oh, my God, I sound like Haley," she said. "She gets nervous and then she babbles," she told him.

"I am so _not_ interested in Haley at this moment," he told her.

"I love you," she blurted. And then she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "That was awful timing!" she said.

Lucas grinned. "It was perfect."

"Do you really think so?"

"Mmm-hmm," he said, "and I think right _now_ is the perfect time to hear it for the second time."

"I love you," she said softly, as his lips met hers.

"And again," he instructed.

"I love you," she said as he picked her up and threw her on the bed with absolutely no grace. "Lucas!" she said, laughing, as she bounced on the bed twice.

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Lucas and Brooke were still in bed when Brooke's bedroom door flew open and her mother came in with her father right behind her holding Laney. "Mom!" Brooke screeched, pulling the bed sheet up to her chin.

"Hi, Daddy!" Laney said, waving at her father.

"Hey, Blue," Lucas said, smiling at his daughter.

"Mom, what are you doing barging in on me like that?" Brooke demanded.

"Laney really misses her _other_ grandmother," Barbie said, insinuating that she, herself was one of Laney's grandmothers.

"Well, we'll see her the day after Christmas," Brooke said.

"But Laney wants to see her for Christmas," Barbie said.

Luke laughed. "Even if that were an option, there wouldn't be any flights available."

"If Laney wants to be home for Christmas," Barbie said, "then she should be home for Christmas," she turned to her husband, "Rick! Fuel up the jet!" she ordered. He nodded his head and quickly left the room with Laney still in his arms. She turned back to the kids. "I'm going to go pack! You really should, too. We'll probably leave in here in about 30 minutes," she said, and then left the room in a whirlwind.

Brooke blinked. "OK, what just happened?" she asked.

Lucas looked at her. "Am I dating money?"

"Heaps of it," Brooke confirmed.


	19. Chapter 19

"So, here's the deal, Dad," Peyton told her father, as they were walking the streets of Tree Hill on their way to Karen and Keith's Christmas Eve party. She had both of her arms wrapped around one of his. "I need you to stick to me like glue tonight," she told him. "At least if you're with me, no one will be questioning me about Jake," she said.

Her father groaned. "Do I really have to hang out with _you_ all night?" her father asked.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Please. Like you could have found a better date than me!" she joked.

He stopped and kissed his daughter on her forehead. "Not in a million years, Honey," he said to her.

Peyton's eyes filled with tears and she blinked them back. "Daddy!" she said softly.

Her father reveled in hearing her call him that. Since she'd grown up, she used the endearment so rarely. "Well, I can't help it if _my _daughter happens to be the most beautiful young woman in the world now, can I?" he teased.

Peyton grinned until she looked up and her eyes fell upon the river court. Immediately thoughts of Jake and how she had been planning to marry him flooded her mind. "Peyton, you can do this," her father said.

She smiled and nodded at him. "I know I can," she agreed. "It's just gonna be hard until I can get out of this town," she said. Her father had been so supportive of her since she told him about Jake and her breaking up. She hadn't told him how she had been planning to propose, and if she had her way, no one would ever find out.

Her father sighed. "I don't see why you need to leave town," he said, continuing the argument that they'd been having all day long.

"It's just gonna be easier for now," she explained.

Her father snorted. "Easy, my ass. It's not gonna be easy for me. Can't I just beat Jake's scrawny ass?" he asked.

Peyton laughed, the first laugh her father had heard from her since he'd arrived home that morning, and he grinned at the sound of it. "You can beat his ass if you want to," Peyton said. "In fact, I think it'd be fun to see. But I'm still leaving, Dad."

"Then what's the point? I guess I'll let Jake live," he said, as though he were doing Jake a huge favor.

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Nathan knocked on Karen's front door with one hand while holding Maddie in the other arm, Haley standing next to him. She was as nervous as could be to be around these people that she'd never met before. He heard her take a deep breath next to him. "Relax, Hales. Everything is gonna be fine," he assured her.

"How do you know I'm not relaxed?" she asked him.

He laughed. "Because you're over there gasping for air," he said as the front door opened.

"Auntie Karen!" Maddie said as Lucas' mom opened the front door. She threw herself at Karen, who was ready for it and caught her effortlessly. She gave Maddie a kiss on the cheek.

"And there's another one of my favorite little girls," Karen said. "How are you, Miss Maddie?"

"I'm good. Haley spent the night last night!" she told Karen.

Karen looked from Haley to Nathan and grinned. She turned around and started walking Maddie towards the other little kids who were playing in Lily's toy room.

"Does she think I'm yours?" Haley asked.

Nathan grinned. "I have no idea, but since you're about to be, what's it matter?" he said, walking ahead of her and into the house. He took his jacket off and motioned for Haley to take hers off so he could take care of them. She handed her coat to him and he disappeared, taking the coats with him. He returned a minute later and took her by the elbow, leading her towards the party. There were people everywhere, and the only face she recognized was Jake's. And she certainly wasn't going to go and say hello to him. Nathan started to move away from her and Haley went into a slight panic. "Nathan!" she whispered loudly, grabbing his arm. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I see someone I know that I went to high school with. I was gonna go say hello," he informed her.

"Without me?" Haley asked in disbelief.

"Do you want to go with me?" he asked. "I didn't know how uncomfortable you'd be talking with someone that you don't know."

"As opposed to standing here by my self?" she said, taking his hand. "I'm coming with you."

He looked down at their hands and grinned. She tried to pull hers away when she realized what she'd done, but Nathan shook his head. "No way," he told her.

"Nathan—" she said.

"Not now, Hales," he said, ignoring her attempt to extricate herself.

He led her to the couple that he'd gone to high school with, a bubbly blonde who was very obviously pregnant and a chocolate skinned man who wouldn't let go of her. Haley smiled at how protective he was. "Skills!" Nathan said, shaking the man's hand and pulling him into a hug. They slapped each other on the back.

"How you doin', man?"

"I'm doing well. And look at you! About to become a father for the first time."

"Yeah, I ain't doin' so good," Skills admitted.

"Piece of cake," Nathan told him. He pulled the blonde into a hug. "Bevin, you're gorgeous—as always," he said, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Always the charmer," Bevin said.

Nathan grinned. "Bevin, Skills, I'd like you to meet my…friend, Haley," he introduced her.

Haley shook hands with both of them. "It's really nice to meet you," she said to them.

Bevin's eyes went to Nathan. "Nathan Scott," she said. "Did some chick finally land you?" she asked, smiling. She looked Haley up and down. "And a hot one, at that!"

Nathan looked at Haley and then back to Bevin. "Unfortunately, no," he told her. "I'm still trying to land _her_," he confessed as Haley blushed furiously.

"Excuse me," Haley said, pulling her hand away from Nathan's and looking for somewhere—anywhere else to be. She walked away and headed in the direction of where she had seen Karen take Maddie.

888

The doorbell rang and since Jake was standing not too far away from the door talking with Bevin, Skills, and Nathan, he walked over and opened it. Big mistake. Peyton and her father were standing there, laughing and carrying on in conversation. They both looked up and saw him at the same time. All smiling and laughing came to a halt. "Merry Christmas," he said, his throat dry. She looked beautiful, he thought. She didn't even look upset, and here he'd been worrying that she was miserable. "Peyton," he said softly. "Mr. Sawyer. How are you?"

Larry cleared his throat and saw his daughter's eyes harden at the sight of Jake. "Come on, Honey," he said, taking her hand and leading her past him without saying a word. Jake's eyes followed her until she was out of the room, and then he cursed to himself. Could this night get any worse? Of all the people that could've been on the other side of the door, it just _had_ to be Peyton. Jake took a sip of his beer.

888

Peyton's father was in the dining room with Karen, Keith, Dan, Deb and some of the other guests that were his own age and Peyton was standing in the living room staring into the fireplace with a glass of eggnog in her hand, swishing it around in the glass. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Peyton Sawyer," she heard from behind her. She turned around and her eyes landed on a very pregnant belly. She looked up and straight into Bevin's eyes. She had cheered with Bevin in high school, and they had been pretty good friends, as well as cheer buddies.

"Bevin! Look at you!" she exclaimed, giving her old friend a hug. "You look gorgeous," she said.

"And you look defeated," Bevin said softly.

Peyton didn't say anything.

"What are you giving up on, Peyton?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in question.

"I didn't know that defeat had a look," Peyton said instead of answering Bevin's question.

"I didn't, either," Bevin responded.

"So, is Skills here with you?" Peyton asked, looking around, anxious to change the subject.

"Oh, yeah, he's in the kitchen having a beer with the guys," she said, rolling her eyes. "Thank God! He really needs to relax. This baby thing has him in such a tizzy! " she confided. "You'd think he was the one giving birth."

Peyton laughed. "Well, having a baby is a big responsibility," she said.

Bevin nodded. "Yeah, it is," she said. "But it's _Skills. _He's gonna be a wonderful dad."

"Are you worried?" Peyton asked.

"Not a bit," Bevin said, shaking her head. "I mean—do I wish that we were finished with college and that we had a house and amazing jobs?" she said with a shrug. "Yeah. But everything happens for a reason. This baby was meant to be," she said with a smile.

"It's nice that you're so sure," Peyton said softly.

Bevin smiled. "Yeah, well, it's not like I have a choice. It's not enough that the men in this town get to date you, they need to knock you up, too," she teased, rubbing a protective hand over her belly.

Peyton looked at her and smiled. "Excuse me," she said, forcing herself to slowly walk away when what she really wanted to do was run. She went into the bathroom and put her hands on the sink to steady herself. She took a few deep breaths. She didn't hear the door open behind her.

"So, how far along are you?"

Peyton's eyes flew to the mirror, and met Bevin's, who was standing in the doorway. "I'm guessing about six weeks," Peyton whispered, not bothering to deny it.

"Jake's?" Bevin asked, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Peyton shook her head yes, and then sat down on the toilet seat when Bevin motioned for her to. Bevin opened the linen closet that was in the bathroom and pulled out a washcloth. She ran it under cool water and then started softly patting Peyton's face with it. "Does he know?"

Peyton shook her head.

"Any plans to tell him?" Bevin pressed.

Again, Peyton shook her head and Bevin slowly nodded.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" Peyton asked with a hint of desperation in her voice.

Bevin thought for a minute and then slowly shook her head. "No, I'm not going to tell him, Peyton. But _not_ because he doesn't deserve to know. But because he deserves to know from _you_." Peyton didn't say anything. "I won't tell Skills if you don't want me to," Bevin said.

"I would never ask you to do that," Peyton said softly.

"What are you going to do?" Bevin asked.

"I'm keeping it," Peyton said defensively. "I would never—"

"Peyton, I didn't think for a second that you would. I meant—where are you going to go? If you're not planning on telling Jake, then you can't be planning to stay in Tree Hill. He'd find out in the space of ten seconds when you started showing."

"Back to UCLA," Peyton said her voice breaking. "I haven't even told Brooke or Haley yet."

"Are you going to?" Bevin asked.

"I don't think so. They'd just try to talk me into telling Jake, and then Brooke would have to keep it a secret from Lucas, and that wouldn't be fair to her."

"I'm here for you, Peyton," Bevin assured her. "I know that we haven't been close in a while, but I _am_ here for you. If you need _anything_. Even if it's just to talk."

Peyton stood up and gave Bevin a hug. "Thanks, Bevin. I appreciate that."

Bevin nodded. "You ready to head back to the party?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready to brave the crowd," Peyton said with false bravado.

"Peyton, you're going to be fine," Bevin assured her.

"I know I am," Peyton said, smiling weakly. "But thanks. It helps to hear it."

Bevin took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, and then the two returned to the party.

888

Nathan walked into the play room and saw Haley sitting on a pink toy box in the shape of a bench watching the kids at play. He went down and sat next to her.

"Hi, Daddy," Maddie said to her father when she noticed him.

"Hey, Mads," he said. He turned to Haley. "Hiding out with the kids?" he accused with a smile on his face.

"Well it's a lot better than being paraded around as your girlfriend," she defended herself.

"Is the thought of being my girlfriend that appalling to you?" he asked, amused

"No," she said honestly. "But I don't want to lie to these people, Nathan. I don't even know them."

"So don't lie," he said.

"Oh, so what? You want me to announce that we're not dating in front of everyone?"

"No, I want you to _date_ me," he told her.

She sighed. "Nathan, _we_ don't make sense," she told him.

"What does _that_ mean?" he asked.

"Look at you," she said. "You're gorgeous, you're athletic, and you're practically perfect. And look at me."

"What am I supposed to see?" he asked softly.

"I am so not your type," she said. "I'm clumsy as can be, I'm…OK looking on my best day, awkward looking on my worst—"

"Haley, what was your last boyfriend like?" Nathan asked.

She sighed and put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "He was a lot like you," she admitted. "He was athletic, gorgeous, and perfect. And when it came down to it," she hesitated, "I wasn't enough for him."

"OK," Nathan said on a sigh. "Just a couple of things. Number one, if he was so perfect, then why the _hell_ did he let _you_ go?"

"Nathan—"

"I'm not done," he said in a strong voice. Haley clamped her jaw shut in surprise. "Perfect, or even practically perfect, are not words that I would use to describe myself," he continued, "but I do know that I'm a good guy. And, Haley, this guy—wants _you._ But I'm not gonna wait forever for you to stop this little game you've got going on. I'm done proving myself to you. So the next move—is yours," he told her. "But if you wait too long, I might not be around for it," he warned. With that, he stood up. "And for the record, when I look at you, I see everything I ever wanted."

888

Karen stood on the back porch looking up at the stars, unable to believe that the sky was so clear tonight. She kept searching and searching, but she didn't see what she was looking for. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and then a kiss on the top of her head. "What are you doing out here?" her husband asked.

Karen sighed. "Looking for a shooting star," she told him.

"You already have me," he joked.

Karen laughed. She loved this man. Even when he didn't know he was doing it, he made her feel better. She turned around in his arms and put her head on his chest. "I miss Lucas and Laney," she told him. "I didn't realize how hard it was going to be having Christmas without them."

Keith sighed. "I know. I've been here for every one of Lucas' Christmas', and it just doesn't feel right without him or Laney," he agreed, then paused. "But do you really think we should be deserting our guests?" he asked.

"Always the voice of reason," she said, smiling.

"Someone has to be," he teased. He took her hand and led her back into the house. As they were walking past the front door to head into the living room, the doorbell rang. Keith looked at his wife. "Think we've got room for anymore?" he asked.

Karen laughed. "It looks like we're gonna have to _make _room," she said, opening the door.

"Merry Christmas!" Lucas and Laney said at the same time, with Brooke beside him and her parents behind them.

Karen grabbed her son's free arm and pulled him and her granddaughter into a hug. She stood up on tiptoe and kissed them both. "Lucas!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Laney missed you," he told his mother.

"You did?" Karen said to her granddaughter, taking her from her son's arms.

Laney nodded. "I did miss you, Grammie," Laney confirmed. "So, Barbie made Rick fuel up the jet for me!" she explained. "And I _love _flying!" she said, chatting on and on. "Is Lily here?" she finally asked.

Karen nodded. "She sure is. She's in the playroom with a bunch of other kids."

Laney looked at her father. "Daddy, can I go play?" she asked.

"Yep," he said, taking his daughter from his mother and taking her coat off. As soon as that was done, she ran for the play room. "Mom," Lucas said. "I want you to meet my girlfriend," he looked at Brooke and grinned, "who loves me. This is Brooke. Brooke, this is my Mom."

"It's nice to meet you, Brooke," Karen said.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Brooke said, giving Karen a quick hug.

"And these are Brooke's parents, Barbie and Rick," Lucas said.

After the introductions had been made, and coats had been taken care of, everyone headed into the living room. Lucas and Brooke were greeted excitedly by all their friends, their arrival a huge surprise to everyone, but mostly to themselves. Brooke and Lucas were still in a tailspin over how fast everything had happened.

When Brooke was finally able to pry herself away from Lucas, she made her way to Haley and plied her with questions. "How's Peyton?" she asked, looking at her friend, who was standing off to the side with her father.

Haley nodded. "She seems better," she told her friend. "I went and talked with her this morning, and she even laughed. But, she _was_ listening to Air Supply," Haley informed her friend.

"Oohh, that's not good," Brooke said thoughtfully.

"Brooke, I think I have a problem," Haley told her friend.

"What?" Brooke asked, her attention immediately returning to Haley.

"I think I might like Nathan," she said.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Of course you do," she said. "You've known for weeks, it's just that this is the first time you've said it out loud and it's all a little overwhelming."

Haley visibly flinched at how accurate her friend was. "How the hell did you know that?"

Again, Brooke rolled her eyes. "Haley James, you are so transparent," she said. "Now, don't go all dramatic on me. We still have to deal with the Jeyton situation."

"Jeyton?" Haley asked, confused.

"Jake plus Peyton equals Jeyton," Brooke said on a sigh. "Please try to keep up Haley."

"Are we going to try to get them back together?" Haley asked.

"Oh, hell, no!" Brooke said. "A guy breaks my friend's heart like that, and he is no longer good enough for her. The plan is to keep them apart."

Haley looked at Peyton on one side of the room, and Jake on the other. "That shouldn't be too hard," she said.

If there was anything Brooke didn't want, it was for Peyton to go back to UCLA. But if Peyton thought that that was what was going to make her happy, then Brooke was going to make it as easy as possible for her to do. And that meant keeping Jake and any chance of him sweet talking her away from Peyton.

Haley and Brooke were so engrossed in conversation, that they didn't even see Jake approach until he cleared his throat. They looked up. "How's Peyton doing?" he asked.

Brooke crossed her arms over her chest. "Well,well, well," she said. "If it isn't _Jerk _Jagielski."

"Brooke, I am not in the mood," he said.

"Oh, no?" Brooke said sweetly. "Then perhaps you'd like to break up with me?" she asked.

"This isn't the time for this, Brooke," Jake said.

"Well when would be a good time?" she inquired.

"Well, Jenny's been crying for three days and _I _haven't slept a wink, so maybe when my daughter stops crying and I actually get some sleep, how's that sound?" he snapped, walking away.

"And super bitch Brooke is back," Haley said.

"She never left," Brooke returned.

888

Peyton had been glad when Lucas and Brooke walked in because she knew how much Karen had been missing her son and granddaughter, but Peyton had her doubts about whether or not she could handle 'concerned' Brooke right now. Especially after the scene she'd just witnessed between her and Jake. She hadn't heard a word, but Brooke's body language had spoken volumes. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air," she told her father.

"Let me get our coats," he said.

"No," she said shaking her head. "It's OK. I'd like to go alone."

"OK," he said softly. "Don't be long."

"I won't be, Daddy," she said, kissing him on the cheek. She got her coat and purse and headed out the front door and onto the porch. She walked down the steps and was slowly walking around Karen and Keith's front yard when she saw a figure step out of the shadows.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" she said, feeling her body temperature rise. Peyton looked around nervously to make sure no one else from the party had wandered outside.

"I'm here to see Jake," the woman said.

"Like hell you are," Peyton spat angrily.

"I happen to have some information that I think he would be _very_ interested in," she threatened.

"Jake doesn't have anything to say to you."

"Well, I have plenty to say to him."

Peyton panicked. "He doesn't even need to know," she said weakly.

"Oh, but I think he does."

"How much?" Peyton asked, her voice growing stronger.

"Excuse me?"

"I said—how much?" Peyton repeated.

"You think this is about money?"

"Five thousand."

"Well, if you can just whip out five thousand like that, why don't we make it ten?" the woman pushed.

"Fine." Peyton pulled her checkbook out of her purse and wrote a check for ten thousand dollars and handed it to the woman. "The banks are closed tomorrow for Christmas. And the day after because it's Sunday," she said. "If you don't follow my instructions and do exactly what I want, then I'll get online and put a stop payment on this check. And I _will_ find out if you don't do exactly what I want you to do." Peyton proceeded to give the woman step by step instructions. "Don't come around again. Jake doesn't need to know about this. I can handle it on my own," Peyton said, returning to the party.


	20. Chapter 20

_OK, for my 20__th__ chapter, I figured I'd include this again:_

_**DISCLAIMER**_

_**I DON'T OWN ONE TREE HILL OR HAVE ANY AFFILIATION WITH IT BESIDES BEING A FAN**_

_**KISSES AND HUGS TO MARK SCHWAHN'S IMAGINATION**_

He had to do something. Jenny was miserable and he was miserable. And if he had to guess—Peyton was miserable, too, no matter what kind of a front she was putting on. He realized that Lucas had been right. Peyton deserved to know the reason that he felt he needed to let her go. And then she could decide from there if she wanted out. And if she stayed out of guilt for not wanting to leave Jenny—well, at this point, Jake didn't care. He knew he was being selfish, but he wanted her in his life. Period. And if that was what it took to get her to stay, he'd deal with it.

He'd seen her go outside a few minutes ago, and he knew that he should leave her alone, but he didn't know if he could. After contemplating for a few more minutes, Jake started to go for the room that his coat was in, but he saw Peyton walk back in through the front door. Lucas stopped her and talked to her for a second, and after nodding her head, she started down the hallway to put her coat away. He gave her a few seconds and then he followed her. She had just put her coat on the bed in the spare room and was walking out when Jake found her. He gently pushed her back into the room. "Peyton, we need to talk," he said. He saw her eyes dart for the door nervously, as if she was afraid to be alone with him.

"No, Jake," she said, her voice breaking.

"Please, Peyton just two minutes. That's all I want," he said softly. Again, he saw her eyes dart to the door and then back to him. "Are you afraid to be alone with me?" he asked.

Without a word, she nodded. "Oh, Peyton," he whispered. He took her upper arms and was just about to pull her in for a hug when she finally spoke.

"Daddy," she pleaded in a strangled whisper.

Jake looked up and her tearful eyes were on the door. He turned around to see Peyton's father standing there. He didn't miss the fury in his eyes as he stalked over and placed himself in between him and Peyton. "I just want to talk to her," Jake said.

"Mr. Jagielski," Larry said, the anger evident in his voice, "unless you want to spend _your_ Christmas in the emergency room, I suggest you remove yourself immediately," he warned.

"Mr. Sawyer, will all due respect—"

"I'd say the same thing," Peyton's father said, "but there is no respect due to you, Jake. You broke my daughter's heart. Now get out of here before I break your nose," he demanded.

Jake hesitated. "I made a mistake, Peyton," he said softly before walking out of the room. He wanted to stay and fight, but at the same time, he didn't want to make a scene at the Scotts'. For now, he'd take the high road. But it wouldn't be long, and he'd be fighting, he decided.

"You OK?" Larry asked, giving his daughter a hug.

Peyton had forced the tears from her eyes. She gave her dad a fake smile and nodded. "I'm fine," she said.

"Liar," he said softly.

Peyton laughed weakly. "Yeah, I'm lying. But I _will_ be OK, Daddy," she promised. "I just need a little bit of time."

"Across the country," he bit out.

Peyton shook her head. "Still not the time."

"Fine. I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. "Are you ready to leave yet?"

"No," she said. "I can't leave until I get the OK from Lucas, which means that _you_ can't leave until I get the OK from Lucas."

Her father rolled his eyes. "You young adults are so dramatic. It's like you can't go an hour without seeing each other," he said. "Come on, let's get out there," he said, heading back to the party.

Peyton grabbed his arm. "Like glue, Daddy," she reminded him.

He nodded. "Like glue," he promised. Like he'd leave her side now, he thought.

888

Larry and Peyton stuck around until it was finally just them, Haley, Nathan, Jake, Bevin, Skills, Brooke, and her parents left at the Scott household. Plus the people that lived there. Laney and Lily had long been sleeping, and Maddie had gone home with Deb and Dan. The remaining people were all scattered about the living room, some standing, some sitting, when Lucas went over to where Brooke was sitting with Haley and Peyton, and took her hand. She looked up at him questioningly as he pulled her to her feet. He led her to the Christmas tree, and when they were in front of it, he turned around so he was facing her and reached down to her sides for her hands. He took them in his. He smiled down at her. "Brooke, the last few months with you have been _amazing," _he started.

"Thanks, Broody," she whispered. "I feel the same way. But did you have to tell me that in front of everyone?" she asked, as she realized all eyes were on her.

"This is how you wanted it," he explained.

"Lucas—what are you talking about?"

Lucas grinned and got down on one knee. He cleared his throat. "I have it on very good authority that you've always wanted to be proposed to in front of your friends and family," he said.

Brooke's gaze followed him until he was kneeling and then her eyes flew to his. She pursed her lips to keep a sob from escaping. Silently, tears started falling from her eyes, but she didn't wipe them away. She didn't want to let go of Lucas' hands.

"But you didn't think it was possible," he continued. "You were worried that you'd never be able to get all of us in one room long enough for that to happen. If there's anything I've learned from you, Brooke Davis, it's that anything is possible. I didn't think I'd ever fall in love again," he tilted his head to the side, "but into my life you walked…and in love I fell."

Brooke laughed nervously.

"I never thought that I'd find anyone who I'd trust with my daughter, or who would love her as much as I do, but you proved me wrong. Again, you showed me that anything is possible. And I wanted to make this possible for _you_." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red velvet box. "So, Brooke Davis, in front of _all_ of our family, and…_most_ of our friends, will you marry me? Will you be my wife and Laney's mother?" he asked.

Brooke sank to her knees in front of Lucas and put her hands on his cheeks. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him with all of the love that was in her heart. "I think that's a yes," Nathan said in a stage whisper. Laughter erupted around the room, causing Brooke to pull away.

"It _is_ a yes," she said. "I will marry you, Lucas Scott. And I will be Laney's mother," she said softly.

"She said yes without seeing the ring?" Haley whispered so only Peyton could hear her. "She must _really_ love him."

Peyton grinned in response.

Lucas opened the box and slowly slid the ring on her finger. "I love you," he told her.

She smiled at her fiancé. "I love you, too," she said.

"All right! Time to break out the champagne," Keith said, leaving the living room to go get it.

Lucas stood up and then helped Brooke to her feet. Everyone gathered around them to congratulate them and give them hugs. Keith finally walked in with a tray of wine glasses with Karen right behind him with another tray. They put them on the coffee table and started to hand them out. Brooke held up a finger. "Hold on a second," she said, and then turned to Lucas. "Can we go tell our daughter that we're getting married?" she asked, her eyes shining.

Lucas squeezed her other hand and grinned even wider. "Of course we can. We'll be right back," he said, leading Brooke from the room.

As soon as they were out of sight, Lucas pushed Brooke against the wall and gave her a kiss that was filled with passion and need. "Hot sex tonight, Brooke," he promised, pulling away and continuing on to where Laney was sleeping.

Brooke pulled on his hand to get him to stop. "Lucas, we can't make _love_ in your mother's house!" she whispered.

"Brooke—" he started, but she shook her head vehemently.

"No, Lucas!" she said, "I can't do it. I just met her."

"_You__r_ parents walked in on us," he argued.

"Yes, but that was _my_ house. This is different."

"Brooke—" he tried again.

And again she shook her head. "I can't do it, Lucas." Her eyes lit up. "_Or_, we could do what any responsible parents would do and ditch Laney on _our_ parents and go somewhere _else_ to have sex," she said excitedly.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Baby!" he told her. "Your apartment?"

She shrugged. "Or parking!" she suggested. "I'm not sure if I could make it to the apartment."

"Aww…that would be even better. See why I love you _so_ much?" he said, kissing her again. His lips travelled from her mouth to her neck, but she pushed him away.

"Laney," she reminded him, gasping for air.

"Right, Laney," he agreed. They made it to Laney's room and Lucas turned on the light. They went over and sat down beside her on the bed. She was fast asleep. Lucas gave her a little shake. "Laney?" he said softly. When she didn't stir, he said it again.

"Did Santa come yet?" she asked, barely opening her eyes.

"No, not yet, Honey," Brooke said.

"We woke you up because we wanted to tell you something," Lucas said. "I'm going to marry Brooke, Laney. She's going to be your mommy."

"That's nice, Daddy," she said on a yawn. "Am I going to get to be the flower girl and wear a pretty pink dress?" she asked, her eyes already closing again.

"You sure are," Brooke said softly, brushing a piece of hair off Laney's forehead and then placing a kiss on her cheek. The little girl was already fast asleep again.

"That's all I get?" Lucas asked in disbelief. "I found her a _mother_," he said.

Brooke laughed. "We'll ground her in the morning," she teased. "Let's get back to everyone," she said, standing up and pulling him to his feet.

888

Haley had to give Nathan props. She'd thought that she had made him angry earlier, but either he was an excellent actor, or he genuinely wasn't mad at her. He'd made conversation the entire way home. His good mood was so convincing, that she almost thought that their little mishap hadn't even taken place. They walked in the front door, and took their coats off, hanging them up in the closet.

"Sleep tight, Hales," he said, squeezing her shoulder and heading for the kitchen.

"Aren't you going to bed?" she asked.

Nathan shook his head. "I still have some presents left to wrap," he said.

"Want some help?" she offered.

"Sure."

"OK, let me just go put my pajamas on," she told him.

"Your short nighty?" he asked, grinning.

"Flannel," Haley said. "From head to toe." She disappeared up the stairs and Nathan headed for the garage.

888

Two hours later, Haley and Nathan were in the heated garage still wrapping presents. "OK, when you said you had _some_ presents left to wrap, I didn't realize that you meant _all _of them," Haley said.

Nathan laughed. "I'm a bit of a procrastinator," he told Haley; putting his finger on the ribbon so she could make a bow out of it. They'd perfected the drill an hour and a half ago.

She finished the bow and put it in the pile with the others. "Do you think Maddie even needs this much stuff?" she asked.

Nathan shrugged. "Probably not as much as I need to get it for her," he admitted.

"Do you even have room for it?"

"Not really," he said. "But she'll only bring some of it to the beach house. The rest of it will stay here."

Haley cut a piece of wrapping paper that was the perfect size to fit around a Cabbage Patch Kid box. She looked in the box. "Bobbi Roxy?" she read on the birth certificate. "You got your daughter a Cabbage Patch Kid with a stripper's name?" Haley accused, laughing.

Nathan joined in her laughter. "It was the only one that looked like her," he said.

Haley nodded at his comment. She had figured that Nathan had just gone shopping and thrown a bunch of things in his cart for Maddie, but to think that he'd stood there looking for the perfect items for his daughter really touched Haley. She could just picture him sorting through all the boxes of Cabbage Patch Kids, looking for the one with jet black hair and big blue eyes.

"Why are you smiling?" Nathan asked, smiling himself.

"Am I?" she asked.

"Yes, you are. Why?" he demanded to know.

Haley laughed. "I was picturing you in the doll aisle sorting through boxes looking for just the perfect one for Maddie."

"And that made you smile?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, it did. To think that you stood there looking for…just the perfect one is absolutely adorable," she told him, grinning.

"Well, then this should really knock your socks off," he said. "So, I'm in the Disney aisle at the toy store, and I'm looking for Sally—" he started.

"Who's Sally?" Haley interrupted, feeling a quick stab of jealousy that caught her off guard.

Nathan grinned knowingly. "She's Lightning McQueen's girlfriend. From the Cars movie," he told her.

Haley laughed. "Oh," she said on a sigh of relief.

"Or at least she would be if she'd give him half a chance," Nathan said with just a hint of mock bitterness in his voice. "Anyway, I finally spot one—the _only_ one— and just as I pull the box off the shelf, this woman runs up and grabs it from me," he said.

"You're kidding!" Haley said, into the story already.

"Oh, I'm not kidding," Nathan said. "So, I politely tell the lady that _that _Sally belongs to me, because I had her first."

"What'd she say?" Haley asked, putting her scissors down, and focusing all of her attention on Nathan.

"She said, 'if you'd moved fast enough, then it _could_ have been yours, but now, it's mine!' And she took off running!"

"Oh my word!" Haley said. "At least you found another one."

Nathan shook his head. "Nope. This is the same one."

"Did you wrestle it away from her?" Haley asked, laughing.

"Nope. I pulled out my cell, got Lucas and Jake on the phone—they were there with me—and I tailed the woman. Just as she was rounding the corner of the Barbie aisle, Lucas grabbed it from her, and tossed it _just _like a football to Jake, who was next in line at the check out counter, and then we all ran like hell," Nathan said, laughing.

"_You _are kidding!" Haley said, not sure if she believed him or not.

"Oh, I am not kidding," he assured her. "I was not gonna let that lady get away with _my _Maddie's Sally," he said, seriously enough so that Haley believed him.

She put a hand over her mouth and laughed uncontrollably. When she finally stopped laughing, she sighed. "That _did_ knock my socks off," she teased.

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I know something else that might knock your socks off," he said.

Haley rolled her eyes and taped the tag to Maddie's last package. "Done!" she said, ignoring his comment. "Let's get them under the tree," she said, grabbing some of the presents and heading for the living room. Nathan followed her with his arms full, too. They finally got all of the presents into the living room, and when Nathan had placed them just right under the tree and stuffed Maddie's Christmas stocking, he let out a big yawn. "Well," he said, looking at his watch, "1 a.m. Not bad. Thanks for your help, Haley. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be out there wrapping."

Haley smiled. "No problem. It was fun," she said.

"Well, you'd better get to bed. Maddie will be up at the crack of dawn!" he told her.

"What about you?" she asked, yawning.

"I'm just gonna clean up the stuff in the garage. I can't leave any evidence lying around, or my little girl will put two and two together," he said.

"Right," Haley said, nodding in agreement. "Nathan—I just want to say thanks for everything. If it wasn't for _you_, I'd have spent Christmas alone this year," she reminded him.

He shook his head. "Nah, Brooke would've made you stay at Lucas' with them. You know how she is," he teased.

"Don't try to make light of what you did for me. I appreciate it. And earlier, when you said you were a nice guy, you were right. You _are_ a nice guy." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Nathan," she said.

"Merry Christmas, Hales," he said back. She smiled softly and then went up the stairs to go to bed.

888

Between her conversation with Nathan at the Christmas party and then her bonding session with him tonight, Haley could think of little else. She knew that she wanted Nathan, but that didn't make it any easier to act on her feelings. For the last year, she'd done her best to avoid men and dating. And contrary to what she had told Deb, it wasn't just because of school. Haley had been hurt when Drew had left her for her Lisa. And it wasn't even that she still loved Drew, because she knew she didn't, but she didn't ever want to experience that sort of devastation again. And with Nathan Scott, she knew she was in way more danger than she ever had been with Drew. Every minute she spent with him, every new thing she learned about him was just one more reason to like him. Regardless of what he'd said, the man was practically perfect. He was a perfect father, a perfect basketball player, and she had no doubt that he'd be a perfect boyfriend, too.

After tossing and turning for an hour, Haley finally decided that she needed a glass of water. After she'd finished helping Nathan wrap presents and come upstairs for bed, she'd changed from her flannel pajamas into her short nighty. Deb kept her house toasty, and Haley couldn't stand to be hot while she slept. She crawled out of bed, and opened her door. After looking up and down the dimly lit hallway, Haley headed for the stairs. She went down and walked through the living room without turning any lights on. She bumped her knee on two end tables in the process and tripped over a pair of Nathan's sneakers. The Christmas tree lights only illuminated so much of the room.

When she finally reached the kitchen, she took a glass from the cupboard and opened the refrigerator to get some water. She pulled out a gallon and poured herself some. She put the water back and was standing at the kitchen sink with her back to the door when the light came on. She jumped and turned around. "Nathan!" she said, putting her hand to her heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she scolded him.

"Sorry," he said. "I couldn't sleep. You either, huh?" He pushed himself away from the door frame and walked into the kitchen grabbed a glass from the cupboard. He filled it with water and took a big drink.

"I was just thirsty," she denied. Haley wanted to put as much space between them as possible in case she needed to make a quick escape, so she walked over to the doorway where he'd just been and leaned against it. "Why can't you sleep?" she asked. She figured that he was excited to see Maddie opening her presents in the morning.

"I can't stop thinking about you," he said honestly. He nodded his head to her nighty. "And after seeing you in _that, _I'm fairly certain that I won't be sleeping a wink tonight." He finished his water and put his glass in the sink, then leaned up against it and crossed his arms. "Why couldn't you wear _that_ when we were wrapping presents?" he asked.

Haley pulled the nighty down lower without even realizing what she was doing. "We were in the garage," she said.

"It's heated," he shot back.

Haley laughed. "This is hardly appropriate attire to be…gallivanting around the house in. Your mom or dad could've come in, and I would've looked like…" she swept her arm in front of her, "_this." _When he didn't say anything, she looked up at his face and saw a shameless gleam in his eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that," she ordered half-heartedly.

"Like what?" he said.

"Like you're the predator…and…I'm the…prey."

"I'm not usually into role playing," Nathan said as he pushed himself away from the sink with his arms, "but that sounds fun."

"What are you doing?" she asked, as he strode purposefully towards her.

"I'm gonna kiss you," he told her.

"But I thought you said the next move was mine," she reminded him.

"I lied," he said without missing a beat.

"What about not waiting forever?" she asked, trying to get her legs to move. But they wouldn't. And Nathan was getting closer and closer with every second.

He shrugged. "Another lie."

Finally he reached her. All he did was look into her eyes, and already her breathing was ragged. "Nathan—" she said softly.

As soon as she spoke, he seized the opportunity and brought his lips down on hers, his tongue sweeping inside of her mouth. He heard a soft sigh from her throat and it nearly drove him insane. He didn't kiss her gently; he kissed her with the passion of a man that had been waiting for this for a long time. And he had. Not taking his lips off of hers, he ran his hands down her arms until they reached her hands and then he pulled them above her head, pinning them to the doorjamb with one of his hands. He reached the other one around her, and reached under her nighty, running his fingers slowly up and down her spine. He felt her shiver beneath his touch. He brought his knee up so that it was resting between her legs. He pulled his lips from her mouth, and heard her breathing heavily. When he started kissing her neck, she leaned her head back and moaned softly. He felt her press her body closer to his, and he knew that if he didn't stop then, then he wasn't going to. He pulled away, letting her hands go. They fell to her sides. He leaned back against the other side of the doorway, trying to catch his breath. _All of that after just a __**kiss**_, he thought. _What would it be li__ke when they finally made it to the __bed?_ he wondered. "Yep," he said out loud.

"What?" she managed, between gasps for air.

"I wanted to know if it was real the first time I kissed you." He gave a single nod and a laugh of disbelief. "It was."

Haley looked down and ran and hand through her hair. "Wow. Was it me or did the Earth move?" she asked huskily. She brought her eyes to his and froze at his grin. "Did I say that out loud?"

He nodded slowly. "Busted, James."

"I—I didn't mean that," Haley said quickly. "That was…it was—I don't know what it was," she finally said.

"Haley James, I'm marrying you," he told her before leaving the room and heading back upstairs.

He left her standing there speechless. _That's the second time he's done that to me,_ she thought, putting her hands to her lips. She wondered if they'd ever stop tingling.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, Christmas morning, Nathan woke up and went to check on Maddie. When she wasn't in her room again, he didn't panic. Instead, he went to Haley's room and quietly opened the door. He knew immediately that what he saw would forever be etched onto his mind and in his heart. Haley and Maddie were fast asleep, on their sides facing each other, their foreheads touching. Haley had a protective arm wrapped around Maddie's little body, holding her close.

As quietly as he could, Nathan backed out of the room and went into his own to get his digital camera—sending up a silent prayer that the girls wouldn't move an inch in the meantime. He quickly found his camera and quietly walked back down the hallway to Haley's room—not wanting to take any chance of waking them up. He moved back into the room and snapped the picture. The flash didn't even disturb them. After going back out into the hallway, he brought the image up on the camera to get a good look at it. He grinned from ear to ear when it appeared, knowing full well that he looked like an idiot. But he didn't care. This one was definitely going in his sock, he decided.

888

Haley was jarred out of her sleep by Maddie saying her name excitedly. "Haley!" she said again, as Haley opened her eyes. "Let's go see if Santa Claus came," she squealed, tugging on Haley's hand. She was standing up beside Haley's bed, and Haley could only see the little girl's eyes and forehead from where she was. Haley sat up and stretched. "OK, Mads," she said on a yawn. She'd started using Nathan's nickname for his daughter. After hearing him say it all the time, it had grown on her. "Let me just change and brush my teeth," she said.

After Haley had brushed her teeth and put her flannel pajama's back on, they headed downstairs, Maddie in Haley's arms. "Nathan!" she said, as a flash almost blinded her. "Are you trying to get me to drop your daughter?" she asked.

Nathan laughed. "I have to have a picture of Maddie just waking up on Christmas morning," he said, defending himself.

Maddie squealed and started bouncing in Haley's arms two steps from the bottom. Haley lost her balance and started teetering forward, but Nathan was there to catch her. "I miss your nighty," he whispered softly in her ear, while steadying her by her upper arms. Haley blushed furiously.

She looked away to avoid Nathan's eyes and that was when she noticed his parents standing right next to him at the bottom of the stairs. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Scott," she said in a choked voice, stepping down from the last step.

"Good morning, Haley," Nathan's father said.

Maddie was squirming, so Haley put her down and Deb took her granddaughter's hand. "So, Maddie, do you want to see if Santa came?" she asked.

Maddie jumped up and down. "Oh, yes! I want to see if my Sally is here!" she said in a high pitched voice.

Haley looked over her shoulder and grinned at Nathan, who was behind her while they were walking into the living room. "See?" he whispered, grinning back. "_No one_ gets my Maddie's Sally."

As Haley walked into the living room, she noticed three mugs sitting on the coffee table, the same mugs that they'd used yesterday morning. One had a candy cane sticking out of it, one was obviously black coffee, and the other was obviously for Haley. _Yep,_ she thought, picking up her mug and taking a drink of her coffee. It tasted just the way she loved it. _Just one more reason to like him._

888

Brooke and Lucas were sleeping when all of a sudden the bed started shaking. "What the hell?" Lucas said.

"Daddy! You said a bad word," Laney scolded, jumping on the bed, with Lily next to her doing the same thing. "Grammie said we could wake you sleepy-heads up now. Santa came and I want to open my presents!" she told him.

"No, you don't," Lucas said, pulling both girls to him, one under each arm, tickling both of their bellies at the same time. "You don't even _like_ presents," he teased.

Both girls were squealing. "Yes, we do, Lukie," his little sister said between her little girl giggles. "We _love_ them!"

Laney stopped giggling and looked at Brooke, who was still sleeping. "Daddy?" she asked. "How come Brooke doesn't have any clothes on?"

Lucas looked at his new fiancé. "Brooke!" he said loudly and she rolled over, stretching, her eyes still closed. When she finally opened them, she let out a little screech and pulled the sheets up to her chin. _She __had to stop getting caught like this_, she thought.

"Umm…let's go see what Santa brought," he said, quickly standing up in his flannel pajama bottoms, a little girl under each arm. He turned his head around and gave Brooke a look of desperation. One that said hurry up and get dressed.

She shrugged her shoulders. _I'm sorry, _she mouthed.

Lucas grinned and wiggled his eyebrows as the sheet fell away from her chest again. She hastily grabbed it and pulled it back up. Luckily, the girls were facing the bedroom door and not the bed.

"Maybe Santa Claus brought Brooke some _clothes!_" Laney said on the way out of the room, causing Lucas to break into laughter.

A mortified Brooke got up out of bed and quickly put her pajamas on. She had been so tired when they go home at 2 o'clock this morning that she'd just stripped down and fallen into bed. She had just wanted to lie down for a minute and close her eyes, but she never made it back up to put her pajama's on. Well, she wouldn't make _that_ mistake again. She grabbed a T-shirt for Lucas on the way to the living room.

888

Nathan grinned as he watched his daughter open her presents one by one. It was so much fun to listen to her squeal and tell him how much she loved everything. She absolutely loved her Sally car, and it didn't escape his little girl's attention that her new doll looked just like her. She finally got to the present that Nathan had been really excited about. She tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy. She looked over her shoulder. "Daddy, can you help me lift this?" she asked.

He put his coffee down and stood up, and helping Maddie with the present, they put it in front of Haley. Haley had been designated by Maddie to sit beside her on the floor in front of the tree to put the wrapping paper in the trash bag. Maddie put her hands together in front of her and looked at Haley, her eyes dancing with excitement. "This one is for_ you_, Haley. It's from me and my daddy," she told her. "I even got to help wrap it!" Haley looked up at Nathan in question.

"Open it," he said softly.

Haley tentatively started opening the present. She noticed that where the wrapping paper should have been cut, it was ripped instead, and she looked up and grinned at Maddie, absolutely adoring the little girl's handiwork. She pushed the paper aside and her breath caught in her throat. "A laptop," she said softly.

"Do you like it?" Nathan asked, unsure of whether or not it had all the features she'd been looking for.

She looked up at him and blinked a few times, not sure what to say. "I love it," she said quietly. "But, this a really expensive gift, and—"

"Merry Christmas, Haley," Nathan said.

Maddie placed a big wet kiss on Haley's cheek. "Daddy _said_ you would love it," she told Haley.

Haley smiled at her. "Your daddy was right," she said.

Dan and Deb shared a look that no one noticed. Deb grinned and sat back on the couch, a satisfied smile on her face. Her son was in love. And her husband owed her fifty bucks.

Nathan had no idea what Haley had gotten Maddie, but it must have been _some_ gift by the way she was screeching. She threw the box to the floor and started jumping up and down excitedly. She ran over and threw her arms around Haley. "_Thank you,_ Haley," she said, everyone barely understanding her because her voice was so high pitched.

Haley gave her a hug. "You're welcome," she said, glad that Maddie liked the gift and saw the significance of it. Nathan was right; this girl could put two and two together!

Nathan laughed. "What did she _get_ you?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Maddie bent at the knees, her little butt sticking out, and her arms were locked right out straight by her sides, hands balled into fists because she couldn't contain her excitement. Her arms were shaking. "Daddy! It's a shirt and some jeans! In Haley's _power _color," she told her father.

"In Haley's _what_?" He looked at Haley and she was blushing slightly.

"In Haley's _power_ color," she repeated, then looked at Haley and rolled her eyes as if her father wasn't very bright. "You _know_, the color that makes Haley feel _really_ good when she puts it on. The one that makes her eyes shine!" she explained.

"Oh, right, _that_ color," Nathan said, pretending to know exactly what she meant. "Let's see it."

Maddie bent over and reached into the box, pulling out a long sleeved turquoise shirt with flowers on it, and a pair of dark blue jeans with turquoise sequined flowers on them. Lastly, she pulled out a pair of little shoes that Nathan thought looked just like Dorothy's, except they weren't ruby, they were turquoise.

Nathan nodded his head. "Those are nice," he agreed.

"Daddy, can I wear this today?" she asked.

"Sure," he told her.

"Oh, here's one more," Maddie said, reaching behind the tree for the last present that was under there. She passed it to Haley. "Who is it for?" she asked.

Haley didn't need to look at the tag. "It's for your father," she said, "but you don't have to open it now," she told him, suddenly self-conscious of her present, afraid that it wasn't enough.

Maddie sighed. "Don't be silly, Haley. Its Christmas morning. This is when we're _supposed_ to open presents," she informed Haley. She took the present and ran with it over to her father. She stood between his legs with her hands on his knees while he opened it. "Daddy, what is it?" she asked when he had it unwrapped. "It's a calendar," he said softly. He flipped to January. It was a picture of him and Maddie. His eyes met Haley's.

"Oh, look, Daddy! It's us!" she said excitedly. "What's the next one?" she asked. As they flipped through the calendar together, it didn't escape Nathan's attention that in every single picture, he was smiling down at his daughter. He lifted his eyes to Haley's once more, and she blushed again. He loved this gift. Next to his daughter, it was his most favorite one he'd ever gotten.

888

"Daddy, who is this one for?" Laney asked, bringing one of the last presents under the tree to her father. She had a hard time getting to him, since there were so many people in the room. Besides Lucas, Brooke, and Laney, there were Karen, Keith, and Lily, and Brooke's parents. They were going to stay at Brooke's apartment, but Karen and Keith wouldn't let them. They wanted them to be able to enjoy Christmas morning with everyone else, so Barbie and Rick had taken one of the spare bedrooms.

Lucas looked at the tag. "It's for you," he told her. "From Brooke."

"Oh," Brooke said. "Wait a second. Lily has one, too. You have to open them together!" she instructed. "There's another one under there, Laney, it's the same size, but the wrapping paper is different. Oh, there it is!" Brooke said, pointing to it. "Can you give that one to Lily?"

Laney ran back to the tree and got the one that Brooke was pointing to for her aunt. She gave it to Lily and then ran back to hers. "Can we open them now?" she asked.

"Of course you can," Brooke said, smiling nervously. She hoped they liked the presents. She had spent a lot of time on them, trying to make them just right for the little girls.

Lucas looked at her questioningly. "I don't recognize those packages," he said.

"That's because I didn't tell you about them," she informed him.

"Ahh, a well-kept secret. Kind of like your love for me, huh?" he teased.

Brooke laughed. "I have apologized up and down for waiting so long to tell you that I love you. I refuse to do it again!"

Lucas shrugged. "It doesn't matter, anyway," he said grinning. "I'm going to be able to hear it everyday for the rest of my life."

She put her forehead to his. "And on some days, you'll hear it more than once," she teased.

"Oh, Brooke Davis, you sure know how to turn a guy on," he said, leaning in for a kiss.

"Daddy, do you have a switch?" Laney asked, turning away from her half-opened present.

"What?" he returned, confused.

"You said that Brooke turned you on. Do you have a switch?"

"Wow!" Lucas said with a ridiculous amount of eagerness. "What's that?" he said loudly and exaggeratedly, motioning to Laney's present, trying to change the subject. Karen and Keith and Barbie and Rick were laughing hysterically.

Laney squealed and put her hands to her mouth with a gasp. _Typical Laney_, Lucas thought, grinning. Boy was his daughter dramatic. "What is it?" he asked. He was _so_ glad that he wasn't going to have to deal with _that_ alone anymore.

Instead of answering, Laney stripped down to her underwear. She quickly pulled the gift out of the box and put the top on.

"Oh," Lucas said, recognizing the gift and laughing as he saw Lily doing the exact same thing. Finally, Laney got the skirt on.

"Oh, Mommy, I love it!" she said in her mini Tree Hill Bulldogs cheerleader uniform. She ran over and hugged Brooke. Brooke quickly hugged her back, and then pushed her away from her, so that the little girl stood at arms length. "What did you say?" Brooke asked.

"I said 'I love it,'" Laney said.

Brooke shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No, before that," she whispered.

Laney blinked. "_Oh," _she said. "I called you Mommy. Remember? Because you and my daddy are getting married and we get to keep you!" she said clapping her little hands.

Brooke grabbed the little girl and pulled her in for a fierce hug. "I can't breathe," Laney said, laughing.

Brooke let go of Laney and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Laney Scott, I love you."

Laney grinned. "Enough to show me where Daddy's switch is?" she asked.

Lucas sighed. How in the _hell_ was he going to get out of this one?


	22. Chapter 22

"Haley, it's for you," Deb said, just as Haley was about to sit down to breakfast.

"Oh," Haley said, surprised. "Thanks, Mrs. Scott."

Deb rolled her eyes. "Haley, please start calling me Deb."

"OK, Mrs. Scott," Haley said as she took the phone from her. "Hello?" she said, walking into the living room for some privacy.

"So, who's Nathan?" her father said on the other end of the phone.

Haley laughed. "Hello to you to, Dad."

There was a pause. "Are you going to answer your father or not?" Lydia said, obviously on another phone in Haley's sister's house.

"He's…" Haley hesitated, "a friend," she finished.

"Well, since you've been there for the last two nights, I'd say he's a pretty _good_ friend," her mother surmised.

Haley sighed. "How did you get this number?" she asked, unable to decide whether or not she was glad to hear from them.

"Well, after we'd tried calling you at home and on your cell for two days, we finally got worried enough to call Brooke. Luckily _she's_ responsible enough to keep her phone on her. She gave us this number."

"Oh, well, that's great," Haley lied, knowing that the third degree was just beginning. But to her surprise, the subject was changed.

"I just wanted to let you know that it's finally stopped snowing here," her mother told her. "And believe it or not, we were able to get your ticket changed so that you can fly home tomorrow."

"Really?" Haley exclaimed. "That's great! I can't wait to see you guys!" OK, so she was glad to hear from them.

Her father cleared his throat. "Should we see if we can get a second ticket for your _friend_?" he asked. Haley heard him and her mother giggling on the other end of the phone and she rolled her eyes.

"That won't be necessary," she assured them. "I told you, Nathan and I aren't dating."

"All-right," her mother said, obviously not believing her.

"So, how's your Christmas going so far?" her father asked.

"It's been really fun. Nathan has a little girl, Maddie, who's four, and we watched her open her presents this morning. I forgot how much fun it is to have kids around at Christmas." Her brothers and sisters had long since moved away from Maine. It wasn't until Haley had transferred to Tree Hill University that her sister Taylor and her husband had returned, buying a house just down the street from where they'd all grown up.

"Did you hear that Jimmy?" she heard her mother whisper. "We're going to be grandparents again!" Haley heard a slap on the other end of the phone.

"Did you guys just high-five each other?" she accused.

"What? Oh, no," her father denied. "Anyway, we don't want to take you away from your…_friend—_or his daughter anymore. Check your email, Haley-Bop. All of your flight information is there. And make sure you're there early so you can make it through security in plenty of time."

"I will be, Dad," she assured him.

"OK, well, fly carefully," her mother said.

"Good one, Lyd," she heard her father say.

Haley sighed. She really should have asked Santa for _normal _parents. "Well, have a good Christmas," she told them. "Tell Tay that I love her and I'll see her soon."

"Will do. Bye, Honey, We love you."

"I love you guys, too," she told them. "Bye."

888

Peyton sighed as she sat down for breakfast with her father. "I know that you have to leave this afternoon, so I called the airport and they were able to get me on a flight leaving today," she told him.

Her father looked at her and sighed. "That's nice," he said half-heartedly.

Peyton looked away. "Dad, I have something to tell you. And I don't want you to be upset with me…and I don't want you to kill Jake."

"Well, I can at least promise not to get upset with you," he told her, "but I make no promises about Jake."

Peyton smiled softly. "I'm pregnant," she said, deciding to just plunge in. She put a fork full of scrambled eggs in her mouth as her father dropped his fork.

He started choking and grabbed his milk to take a big swallow. "Daddy? Are you OK?" she asked, the concern in her voice evident.

Her father nodded, still drinking his milk. When the glass was empty, he finally put it down. "I'm fine, Honey. Did you say pregnant?" he asked, wiping his mouth with his cloth napkin.

Peyton laughed weakly. "Yeah."

He pushed his plate away and put his elbows on the table and folded his hands together. "When did you find out?"

"The day before yesterday," she told him.

"Does Jake know?" her father asked.

She shook her head.

"Are you going to tell him?"

She shook her head again.

"I don't like this," he told her honestly.

Peyton's eyes welled up with tears. "Join the club."

"He has a right to know, Peyton."

The tears fell from her eyes, but she went on as if they weren't there. She wouldn't even wipe them away. She refused to acknowledge them. "I didn't tell you this because I wanted a lecture," she said angrily. "I told you because you're my father and sometime in the next seven and a half months, I'm going to need you."

"Peyton, you're keeping life altering information from this man."

"Yes, I am. From this man who _doesn't _love me, Daddy. I won't tell him I'm pregnant only for him to suddenly set aside his feelings for me and marry me anyway for this baby. I _won't _do that!"

Her father sighed. "Peyton, relax."

"I can't relax! I haven't been able to _relax_ for days!" she told him, shoving away from the table and standing up.

"Where are you going?" her father asked.

"Out," she said, leaving the kitchen and grabbing her keys and coat. She left the house and just drove around for a while.

888

"I have to go," Haley said, looking at her watch. She had just put the last breakfast dish in the dishwasher.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"That second call was Peyton. She wants Brooke and me to meet her at the apartment," she told him.

"Do you want to use my car?" he asked, following her to the closet. She pulled her jacket out and put it on.

"No, thanks. I'll walk. That way I can bring my own car back. I'm going back to the apartment today anyway."

"Aren't you staying for Christmas dinner?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I can," she told him.

He smiled and reaching for one of her hands, pulled her to him. "Good," he said. He really wanted to kiss her again, but he knew how skittish she was, and he didn't' want to scare her off. Instead, he settled for putting his face in her neck and nuzzling her. He knew he'd made the right decision when she up her arms up around his neck and laughed nervously.

"Nathan!" she breathed.

He grinned into her neck and then straightened his expression before he pulled away. "Why don't you just plan on staying here again tonight?"

"I have to go home sometime," she told him.

"Not tonight," he told her.

"Nathan—"

Just then, Maddie rode through the foyer on her new pink scooter that Dan and Nathan had put together just before breakfast, while Deb and Haley had been making the blueberry pancakes and sausage.

"Hey, Mads," Nathan said.

She stopped her scooter. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Do you want Haley to spend the night again?" he asked.

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Maddie said, riding away.

Haley's jaw dropped. "You just used your daughter as a pawn! Are you proud of yourself? She asked Nathan.

He grinned. "Yep. Did it work?"

Haley hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. "Yes," she gave in. "But I do have to go. Brooke and Peyton are expecting me."

He reached into the closet and pulled his car keys from his jacket pocket. He gave them to her. "The sooner you get there, the sooner you can come back," he explained.

With a grin, Haley headed out the front door.

888

Peyton was nervously pacing the apartment, forcing her hands to stay down by her sides. She wanted so badly to chew her fingernails, a habit she'd broken once she hit high school, but she wouldn't let herself. She'd gone back to her father's and apologized for the way she had acted. She couldn't leave things that way with him just before he went back to the boat, especially when she didn't even know when she'd be able to talk to him again. His phone signal was always so unpredictable. After that, she'd packed her things and her dad had put them in his car.

She'd come to the apartment to say her goodbyes to Brooke and Haley. She'd left only half an hour to spend with them. Any more time, and she was afraid she'd break down and tell them everything, and she just didn't want to do that.

Finally, Brooke and Haley came into the apartment at the same time, smiling and chatting. "Guess what Haley drove up in?" Brooke said teasingly. Haley rolled her eyes.

"What?" Peyton asked.

"Nathan Scotts SUV," Brooke informed her friend.

Peyton grinned. "Are you kidding?"

Brooke shook her head. "Oh, no. I am so not kidding. Now she's driving around in his vehicle _and_ staying the night at his house." She looked at Haley. "Do you think you'll be married before Lucas and me?"

"Brooke! We are just friends!" Haley insisted, but if she were to be honest with herself, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Sure. And Big Ben is just a clock," Brooke argued.

"So, what's up, Peyt?" Haley questioned, deciding that the best course of action was to ignore Brooke entirely.

"Want to sit?" Peyton asked.

Haley took her coat off and put it on the couch. "Suddenly I want ice cream," she said, trying to ignore the bad feeling she was getting. She led the way into the kitchen, and her friends followed. While Haley pulled out a carton of ice cream, Brooke and Peyton wordlessly sat down at the table. She put the Gifford's Grape Nut Ice Cream in the center of the table and handed each one a spoon, then sat down.

"So," Brooke said softly. "Where are you going?"

Peyton sighed. "First, I need to know that you won't tell Lucas. Or Nathan," she said.

Brooke nodded her head. "Hoes over Bros," she said.

"Even if you're engaged?" Peyton asked.

Again, Brooke nodded. "Even then," she promised softly.

In that second, Peyton wanted so badly to tell her friends that she was pregnant, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she looked at Haley expectantly.

"It's our secret, Peyt," Haley assured her friend.

"I'm going back to L.A.," she told them.

"I kind of figured that's where you'd go," Brooke said.

"Yeah, well, I don't have many options."

"That's not true," Haley argued. "You could stay."

"No, Hales, I can't."

Haley threw her spoon down on the table. "This really sucks. Not only does Jake break up with you, now you're letting him run you out of town?"

"He's not running me out of town," Peyton said softly. "I'm choosing to go."

"For how long?" Brooke asked.

Peyton shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I even want to come _back _to Tree Hill."

"Can I just say _bull shit_?" Haley said angrily, standing up.

"Haley!" Brooke scolded.

Haley pointed in the direction of Peyton's bedroom. "You sat there in that room telling me that Tree Hill was your home, and that it meant a lot to you."

"It does," Peyton said.

"So much that you're leaving it?" Haley pressed. She shook her head in disbelief. "I never ever pegged you for a coward, Peyton Sawyer."

Peyton sniffled and it was then that Haley looked up and saw the tears in her friend's eyes. "Oh, I'm such a bitch," Haley said huskily, tears in her own eyes. She went to her friend and leaned down to give her a hug. "Don't hate me, Peyt."

"I don't hate you, Hales," Peyton assured her, sniffling again.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's OK," Peyton said.

"No, it's not. You brought us here to tell us good-bye, and I'm freaking out on you. At least you're not leaving without telling us," Haley let go of her friend, reclaimed her spoon and her chair, and took a huge bite of ice cream.

"Haley, be careful," Brooke warned, but it was too late.

"Oh, brain freeze!" Haley said, putting her hand to her forehead. She had an instant ice cream headache. "Owwww!" she cried.

Brooke and Peyton started laughing. "We really should have had this conversation over something warm," Brooke said. Then her face turned serious. She reached across the table and took one of Peyton's hands in hers. "I don't like this," Brooke said honestly. "In fact, if I didn't absolutely think that you needed to do this, you know I'd tie you to that chair until you were over Jake," Brooke said, tears falling from her eyes.

Peyton laughed at her friends comment.

"But you think you need to do this, I understand that. So I'm gonna let you go, P. Sawyer. But don't think I'm not gonna call you at least three times a day," she warned. "And we _will_ be out there for spring break!" she promised.

Peyton smiled, loving her friend's devotion. But she knew she'd do whatever she had to to keep Brooke away. She wouldn't put her friend in a place to choose loyalty to her or to her fiancé. And finding out that Peyton was pregnant would put Brooke in just such a predicament.

The girls chatted for a little while longer and then Peyton broke the news. "I need to get back to my dad. We need to leave in half an hour for the airport," she told them, standing up. She smiled softly at her friends. "I am going to miss you guys so much."

Brooke smiled back. "Right back at you, P. Sawyer."

Haley just stood there with tears in her eyes. She let out a strangled laugh. "I'm not going to say anything," she said. "Because you know once I start, I won't be able to stop."

Peyton and Brooke nodded in agreement, and then Peyton led the way into the living room. "Just one more thing before you go," Brooke said, motioning with her chin to Peyton's purse. "Let me see your IPod."

"Brooke!" Peyton said.

"Give it or I'll get it," Brooke warned.

Peyton sighed, reached into her purse and handed her IPod to her friend.

Brooke took one look at it and sighed. Haley was looking over Brooke's shoulder as she scrolled through the songs. "Wow! It looks like an 80's reunion on your IPod," she commented.

"Peyton," Brooke said. "Guns n Roses_ Since I Don't Have You_ and _Don't Cry?"_

Haley pointed to one of the songs. "_Here I Go Again_ by Whitesnake," she read.

Brooke looked at her Peyton accusingly. "_Love Bites?"_

"Mmmm," Haley said, nodding. "Def Leppard. That's a good one."

Brooke's eyes flew to Haley's. "You're not helping!"

"Sorry," Haley said. "Oh, look! Air Supply, _All Out of Love. _I _told _you she was listening to Air Supply!"

Peyton sighed. "This is how I cope," she told Brooke. "You shop, I listen to depressing music."

"Aww, _Headed for a Heartbreak _by Winger," Haley said. "That Kip Winger sure was a hottie when he was in his prime!"

"Haley!" Brooke said in a high pitched voice.

"Did you see _Until Your Love Comes Back Around _by RTZ?" Peyton asked Haley. "That was a good one."

"That _was _a good one," Haley agreed.

Brooke shoved the IPod back into Peyton's hand. "You better call me the second you land!" she scolded.

"I will," Peyton said, the tears returning to her eyes.

"And make sure that Rachel takes good care of you. And if she _doesn't_ you remind her that she'll have to answer to _me_!" Brooke warned.

"I'll tell her."

Haley sighed. "Don't you dare think that because you're leaving Tree Hill you're leaving _us,"_ Haley said.

Peyton shook her head. "I don't think that, Hales." There was a slight pause. "OK, I've gotta go," she said.

"Hugs!" Brooke said, as the girls all gathered together and wrapped their arms around one another. "I love you, P. Sawyer," Brooke said without a trace of humor.

Peyton grinned through her tears. "You, too, B. Davis."

Haley sighed. "I love you, Peyt," she finally said.

"Me, too." With that, Peyton pulled away and walked out the front door.

Haley and Brooke looked at each other and swallowed past the lumps in their throats, both thinking the same thing. The same thing Haley had been thinking for the last few days. Life as they had known it was over.


	23. Chapter 23

Haley parked Nathan's vehicle in the driveway and then went into the house. Nathan walked up as she came in and helped her with her coat. He hung it in the closet for her, and when he turned around, he got a look at her face. "Haley, what's wrong?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

Haley sighed. "Peyton left," she told him sadly.

"Where'd she go?" he asked.

"She left town."

"Well, where did she go?" he repeated.

"I can't tell you that. Brooke and I are sworn to secrecy." Haley sighed again. "Stupid Jake!" she said angrily.

"I won't disagree with that," he said. "Letting Peyton go was not the smartest move he's ever made. She was so crazy about him and Jenny."

"Yeah, she was."

"Want some hot chocolate?" he asked, trying to cheer her up. "I'll put a candy cane in it for you," he said sweetly.

Haley smiled. "Sure." She looked around as Nathan put his arm around her and led her into the kitchen. "Where's Maddie?" she asked.

"She's asleep on the couch," Nathan told her. "She wanted to watch her new movie, and she was asleep within five minutes of me pushing play."

"Well, everyone left Lucas' pretty late last night. She must have been tired."

They went into the kitchen and as Nathan got Haley's hot chocolate together, she sat down on a stool at the kitchen island. "So, that was my Mom this morning on the phone," she started.

"Really?" he asked, not turning around.

"Yeah. It _finally _stopped snowing and they got me a plane ticket for tomorrow."

He turned around at that. "What time does your flight leave?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. They said to check my email because everything was in it. Do you have a computer I can use?"

"Sure," he said. "My laptop is upstairs. I'll be right back," he said, putting her drink in front of her.

He went upstairs and came back down with his laptop. She logged on to her email account and made a face. "That's weird," she said, obviously confused.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"My parents told me that my flight was for tomorrow, but this says it's for tonight."

"It must be a mistake," Nathan said.

Haley pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She'd taken it from the apartment this morning when she'd met Peyton and Brooke there. After talking with her mother, her mother checked the website and confirmed that her fight did, indeed leave at 9 p.m. that night. Haley got off the phone and broke the news to Nathan. "Oh, Maddie is going to be so disappointed," Haley said, sighing.

"It's OK, Hales," he assured her. "She'll understand."

"I know, but I still don't like having to leave her after I promised I'd stay."

They broke the news to Maddie, and as Nathan had predicted, she said she understood. Haley called Brooke, and they decided that after Haley had dinner with the Scotts, Brooke would meet her at the apartment to help her pack and say good bye.

888

Across the country, Peyton had just gotten off her plane and was walking through the airport with her carry-on. She was looking through her purse for her credit card to rent a car when she heard a voice behind her.

"Welcome back, Bitch."

Peyton swung around with a grin on her face, shaking her head. "Oh, my God. Fancy meeting you here. So, to which exotic locale is Rachel Gatina heading for this time?"

Rachel shook her head. "Nowhere," she told Peyton. "I'm here to pick you up."

"How did you know I was getting in tonight?" Peyton asked.

"Brooke," they said at the same time, as Peyton realized where the news must have come from.

"She told me that if I wasn't here to pick you up, she'd find out and skin me alive." Rachel shrugged. "I didn't want to take any chances."

"I love your new nose!" Peyton said, taking a closer look at it.

"You noticed?" Rachel said, beyond excited. "Brooke didn't even realize," she told her friend.

"Well, I don't know how! It's absolutely stunning on you," Peyton said.

"You know what, P. Sawyer? If it wouldn't cause so much speculation, I'd kiss you for that!"

Peyton laughed as Rachel linked her arm with her and steered her away from the Rent-a-Car counter.

"I never would have called you to pick me up," she said a few minutes later as the two got into Rachel's flashy SUV. "I hate that you had to pull yourself away from your Christmas celebration."

"Oh, please," Rachel said. "My parents are celebrating Christmas in Cancun, and since my boyfriend left me for his ex-wife, I didn't have any plans. You actually did me a favor by flying in tonight. So, thanks!" she said with exaggerated excitement.

Peyton laughed at Rachel's comment.

"So, tell me about this Jake guy," Rachel said.

Peyton looked up at her and the seriousness in her eyes didn't escape Rachel. "Just between us?" she asked.

Rachel nodded. "Just between us," she confirmed.

"Well, I'm having his baby," she said softly.

"Peyton Sawyer," Rachel said, trying to re-correct after getting too close to the shoulder of the road. "Don't say that to a girl when she's driving!" she said, catching her breath. "You could have gotten us killed!"

"Sorry," Peyton said.

"Are you for real?" Rachel asked.

Peyton smiled. "Yep. I'm gonna be a mom."

"How does that make you feel?"

Peyton smiled even wider. "I'm getting used to the idea," she admitted. "I was really scared at first, but…I don't know. I'm kind of excited."

"I can't believe that I'm gonna be an auntie!" Rachel said, reaching over and putting a hand on Peyton's belly.

"Hands, Rachel! Wheel!" Peyton said, in a slight panic.

Rachel put her hand back on the wheel and re-corrected again. "Dammitt!" she said.

888

Brooke was lying on Haley's bed while Haley was packing her suitcase. Brooke was on her belly with her chin in her hands. Nathan and Lucas were in the living room on the couch. "This really sucks," she said. "I have to say good bye to _two_ friends in_ one_ day."

Haley laughed. "You'll be fine, Brooke Davis. You have your fiancé now. Who, by the way, has exquisite taste in jewelry. Let me see that ring again!" she said, grabbing Brooke's left hand to get another look at her friends ring.

When Brooke got her hand back, she held it up in front of her and admired the ring Lucas' had picked out for her. "Yep, he's definitely a keeper," she said. "So, how long are you gonna be gone for again?" Brooke asked.

"Two weeks," Haley said.

Brooke sighed. "What am I gonna do for _two_ weeks?" she said dramatically.

"Have hot hot sex with your fiancé?" Haley suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Lucas said, walking into the room.

Haley looked up and saw Nathan, who had walked in behind Lucas, standing there with a grin on his face. _Damn,_ she thought. _He heard that._

Lucas plopped down on the bed beside Brooke and leaned in for a kiss.

"Hey!" Haley said. "Hot hot sex is fine, but _my_ bed is off limits!" she said. What the heck? Nathan had already heard her first comment, anyway.

Lucas and Brooke broke apart, laughing. "Brooke, didn't you have something you wanted to show me? In your bedroom?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Brooke said, jumping up. "My new bra!" She grabbed his hand and threw a wink at Haley as they left the room.

Haley zipped her suitcase up and then turned around. "Well, I'm all packed," she said.

"You sure are," Nathan agreed.

"I'll be on my way home in no time."

"To Maine," he said.

"Right," she agreed. "On my way home to Maine."

He shook his head. "No. You'll be on your way to _Maine_," he said. "Tree Hill is home, now," he clarified. "Not Maine."

Haley shrugged. "A mere technicality," she said dismissively.

"No, an important detail," he insisted. "I can't have you traipsing all over the country thinking that wherever you are is home, or you might never come back."

Haley laughed. "My new laptop is here," she reminded him. "I'll definitely be back for that if nothing else."

Nathan smiled. "Two weeks is a long time, Hales."

"No, it's not," she argued. "It's only fourteen days."

He put his arms around her. "I'm supposed to go fourteen days without the kind of kiss we had the other night?"

Haley blushed at Nathan's question. This was the first time he'd mentioned the kiss since it had happened. "Well, you went 21 years without it," she reminded him.

"Yes, but now I'm addicted," he explained.

Haley giggled. "My kisses are _not _addicting," she said.

"Haley James, you have _no _idea how intoxicating they are," he said adamantly.

Haley looked up into his eyes, and the passion she saw in them made her shiver. She leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him when Brooke bounced into the room. "Hey, Hales. We need to go now if you're gonna—oh, so sorry! Continue," she said, as she started leaving the room.

"Brooke, it's OK," Haley said. "We're done." She stepped away from Nathan and started walking away, but he'd taken one of her hands and didn't let it go until their arms were stretched out as far as they could go. She looked up at him and smiled shyly. She couldn't believe she'd been about to kiss him. Mostly because she'd been the one to initiate it.

"I'll grab your suitcase," he told her, heading for her bed.

"You showed Lucas your bra that fast?" he heard Haley say on her way out of the room.

All Nathan could think was that it was going to be an uncomfortable ride home. Even if it was only a fifteen minute ride.

888

Haley had been in Maine for six days, and she was miserable. It was New Years Eve, and her sister, brother-in-law, and her parents were out at a party. It was ten thirty, and Haley was on the couch with her second pint of ice cream of the night watching The Notebook, tears streaming down her face. The movie was only part of the reason she was crying. She'd gone to visit some of her friends from high school at their apartment earlier today, and when she'd left, she'd spotted Drew in the parking lot. On a sigh, she'd tried to make it to her car without being noticed. It was not to be.

_"Well, well, well? What have we here?" she heard him say from behind her as she put her hand on the car door to open it._

_Haley sighed and turned around. "Hi, Drew," she said softly. No, she wasn't in love with him, but the thought of his disloyalty still stung when she thought of it. __And the thought of her best friend__'__s. __ A million what-ifs ran through her mind. If I'd given in and slept with him, would he __still have left__ me__ for her__? She'd never know._

_"If it isn't Haley James. Where's your halo?" he asked,__ making a show of__ looking around._

_Haley shrugged. "Are you just going to stand here and mock me, Drew?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. The jerk._

_"No," he said with a trace of humor in his voice.__ "I just wanted to tell you my exciting news," he continued. "Did you know that Lisa's pregnant?" he taunted._

_"No, I didn't know that," she said, upset with herself, because she knew her face mirrored the surprise she felt._

_"With twins."_

_She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Congratulations," she whispered._

_"They __could have been yours, you know.__" he pushed. "If you hadn't been so…" he looked her up and down, " __**you,**__" he finished._

_Still, Haley stood there. She didn't know why, but she couldn't move, making her even angrier with herself. Everything in her wanted to flee, but her feet wouldn'__t __move an inch._

_"I'm actually really very lucky that I got away from you when I did," he ridiculed. "Lisa was definitely a step up. Not only is she more beautiful, but she actually put__s__ out, too. Something you could never be bothered to do."_

_Finally, Haley found her words. "Up until this very moment, I always thought that I got the s__hit end of the deal, when all along, it was Lisa.__ And I wouldn't have been able to come to that realization without this very conversation. So, thank you, Drew," she said softly. Her body kicked into gear at last, and Haley got into her sister's car and drove awa__y. She didn't bother to look into the rearview mirror. She wouldn't have been able to see through her tears, anyway._

Just thinking of it, Haley shoved her spoon into the ice cream container and took another big bite. _So what if I get an ice cream headache?_ she thought. She was even angrier with Drew now than she had been when he'd cheated on her with Lisa. Now he'd taken something far more important away from her. He'd taken Nathan. Just when she finally thought she could give it a go and try things with him, Drew had cured her of that notion. With that one conversation, he had brought back every insecurity she'd ever had about not being enough. And she was so afraid of not being enough for Nathan. _Like it matter's anyway,_ she thought. _The jerk hasn't even called._ She definitely needed more excitement in her life, she decided, thinking about how pathetic it was to be sitting home alone on New Years Eve. She missed Brooke. And Maddie. And Nathan. The tears were coming in a steady stream now.

Just as Noah was about to kiss Allie, there was a knock on the door. Haley sighed and put her ice cream container on the coffee table. Damn Taylor and her forgetfulness. This was the third time in the six days Haley had been here that she'd forgotten her keys. As she was walking to the door, she looked down and noticed a big splotch of chocolate ice cream on her favorite T-shirt. "Dammitt!" she said, opening the door with her head still down, debating on whether or not she'd be able to get the stain out. "Tay, you really should think about putting a spare key under the welcome mat," she said, walking away. When she realized the door hadn't closed, she turned around and froze.

"Hey, Hales."

Haley burst into tears and Nathan walked in and shut the door behind him. He started towards her, and when he got close enough, she threw herself at his chest, her arms around his waste. He was stroking her hair while she was sobbing and hiccupping. "How much ice cream have you had?" he asked his eyes on the coffee table. It was littered with a bunch of empty food containers.

"Just one and a half pints," she told him.

"Well, maybe we should put this other one in the freezer before it melts on the coffee table," he said, nodding towards it with his chin.

He could feel her nodding as she pulled her head away from his chest. She walked over to the coffee table and picked everything up, then disappeared through a doorway and went into what he assumed was the kitchen. He took his coat off and placed it on the back of an empty chair. As he was turning around, he noticed what was on the TV screen and groaned. Haley was watching The Notebook. Brooke had been right. Whatever happened hadn't been pretty.

A few minutes later, Haley finally walked back into the room and Nathan noticed that she'd gotten herself together some. She was walking past where he was sitting on the couch when he took her hand and pulled her down next to him. "Talk to me, Hales."

"What are you doing here?" she asked him instead, settling down close to him. She pulled his arm around her shoulders.

"Brooke called me and said that you called her today and you sounded miserable. What happened?"

Haley sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing, really," she said.

Nathan sighed. "Brooke wouldn't have called me for nothing," he argued.

Haley sighed. "Fine," she said, giving up. "I ran into my ex-boyfriend today. And he gave me an earful. A nice _long_ list of all the reasons he cheated on me."

"Is there ever really a good reason to cheat?" he asked.

"Good answer," she said grinning.

"Look at that. My girl's finally smiling," he said softly. Haley's eyes immediately filled with tears again.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said, wiping them away.

"Have you been out at _all_ since you've gotten here?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. It's pretty much been Bridge and Scattergories since I arrived," she told him. "Except when my dad talks me into an exhilarating game of Operation," she said.

He stood up and took her hand, pulling her up. He kissed her on the forehead. "Get out of that sorry T-shirt and put something else on. We're going out."

Haley groaned. "Nathan, I don't want to go to a bar!" she said.

"For coffee," he told her. "We're going out for coffee."

"Oh," she said, surprised. "I could go for coffee."

"Good thing. It'll help with your ice cream hangover tomorrow," he told her. "Now, go get changed."

Haley smiled and started walking away, but turned around when she felt him slap her on the butt. He grinned at her and then shrugged his shoulders as if to say what? She grinned at him for a minute before continuing to go upstairs to change.

888

Haley and Nathan were at Starbucks sitting at one of the cocktail tables chatting. Haley looked down at her watch. "It's one o'clock!" she said, surprised. "Wow, time flies when you're having amazing conversation," she teased. She nodded towards his coffee cup. "Refill?" she asked.

"Why not?" he said. "I've got a few more days before practice starts back up. That's plenty of time to work it off."

Haley grinned and hopped down off her stool. She was still grinning when she got in line, but it soon disappeared.

"Wow, twice in one day. How did I manage to get so lucky?" she heard the voice behind her ask icily.

Haley turned around and immediately regretted the action. She turned back around.

"Oh, so what? I don't exist now?" he asked, obviously drunk.

Haley suddenly felt Nathan behind her. "Is this _Drew_, Haley?" he asked, almost accusingly. He didn't even look at her. He wouldn't take his eyes off Drew. Haley could feel every fiber of Nathan's being radiating fury.

Haley took his hand. "Let's just go," she said.

"Who the hell are you?" Drew asked, looking Nathan up and down.

"I belong to her," he said, motioning his head to Haley.

"Well," Drew said. "That tells me two things. One, you're not very bright, and two, you're not getting laid." He started laughing, along with his two friends who were with him.

"Let's just walk away," Haley coaxed, trying to make eye contact with Nathan, but still he wouldn't take his eyes off Drew. She tried to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge and she was too small to move him. When she saw his jaw harden and then start to tick, she knew they were in trouble.

"When was the last time we made love, Haley?" he said, finally tearing his gaze away from Drew to look at her. He touched her cheek tenderly. "Oh, right. This morning. No, wait, was it this bathroom or the one at…no, it was this one here," he said, pretending to think about it.

Drew scoffed. "Yeah, right. You _think_ you're gonna be the one to get her into bed, but don't waste your time. Her legs are locked tighter than—"

Drew never got to finish his sentence. His nose was too busy being introduced to Nathan Scott's fist.

Haley stood there in shock as Nathan jumped up and down twice, shaking his hand. The pain was intense, but from the way Drew was moaning on the floor, it was nothing compared to his. Haley watched as Nathan's eyes widened, as if he'd just realized what he'd done. His eyes flew to hers. "Shit, Haley…RUN!" he roared, putting a hand on the small of her back as they took off running.

888

Haley walked into the living room with a dish towel filled with ice. She sat down on the couch next to Nathan and gently placed in on his knuckles. "Does it hurt?" she asked.

He laughed. "Like hell," he admitted. "But it was so worth it."

"Oh, Nathan," she breathed. "That was amazing!"

He laughed again, and then his expression got serious. "I'm sorry about the sex comment. I shouldn't have said anything like that."

"Are you kidding?" Haley said. "That was the best part. Now _he's _going to think _he _wasn't enough for _me. _It's about time his insecurities rise up," she said, standing up at the knock on the door. She rolled her eyes. "My sister is so absent-minded," she complained affectionately.

Haley went to the door and opened it. When she saw who was on the other side, her eyes widened. "I'm looking for Nathan Scott," he said.

Nathan stood up and walked over to the door. "I'm Nathan Scott," he said.

"Mr. Scott, you're under arrest for the assault of Andrew Schaefer. Please turn around and place your hands behind your back."

Nathan gave the ice and the dish towel to Haley, and then did as he had been asked. "Everything is gonna be OK," he assured her. "But just in case, call my dad."

Haley could only nod.

"Nathan Scott, you have the right to remain silent…"

_Excitement is way overrated, _was Haley's last thought.


	24. Chapter 24

"Nathan, are you OK?" Haley asked, out of breath. She'd just run up the front steps of the police station, past the desk, and straight to Nathan's cell.

"I'm fine, Hales," he told her from behind the strong metal bars. "Did you call my dad?"

Haley shook her head. "No. I knew you were in a hurry and probably a little stunned. I figured if you'd been thinking clearly, you'd have asked for Lucas."

Nathan grinned. "You know me so well."

Haley sighed in frustration. "Nathan Scott! Why on Earth do you have a smile on your face? You are…in a jail cell!" she reminded him.

"Yes, but it was the best arrest ever," he assured her.

"It was not," she disagreed. "This is awful, and it's all my fault!"

Nathan shrugged. "It's a little fun."

"Lucas is going to kill you!" she argued.

He shrugged again. "Or high-five me."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Nathan, would you get serious?"

"I don't want to get serious. That guy was a prick, Haley. As far as I'm concerned, he got what was coming to him. Now he knows that if he messes with you, he messes with me."

Haley cocked her head at him and sighed. "OK, so it was a little fun. And you looked hot as hell hitting him," she admitted, silencing the voice of reason that was trying to take over in her head.

"Haley! Oh my word! What the hell happened?" Haley turned around in time to see her parents, and her sister and her sister's husband walking down the hall towards Nathan's cell.

She looked at Nathan with a warning look. "Get ready for chaos," she told him quickly, then turned around.

"Hi, guys," she greeted them.

"What the hell happened?" her father repeated.

"Dad, it was just a misunderstanding," Haley said.

"Like hell it was!" Nathan argued. He stuck his hand out through the bars. "Nathan Scott, sir," he said, shaking Haley's father's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you as well," Haley's father agreed.

"Listen, sir, I'm sorry that I have to meet you under these circumstances," Nathan said, "but I met Drew tonight."

"Oy," Lydia James said, sticking her finger down her throat and making a gagging face.

"My thoughts exactly, Mom," Taylor agreed. "I'm Taylor," she told Nathan.

"It's nice to meet you," Nathan said. "Anyway, he said some things to Haley that were less than gentlemanly, so I had to…" he cleared his throat. "Set him straight."

"With a broken nose!" Haley said excitedly.

"Nathan Scott, you are my hero!" Taylor said. "If I can get away from my husband long enough, I'm going to kiss your face all over!"

"Forget about that," Taylor's husband said. "I'm Tyler. And when you get out of here, we'll both be kissing your face up and down!" he continued.

"Oh," Nathan said, "Taylor and Tyler. That's cute."

Tyler pulled his wife to him by the waist and kissed her on the nose. "Isn't it?" he said.

Jimmy and Lydia both rolled their eyes. "So, tell us what happened," Lydia prompted.

"Drew made some less than flattering comments about my…" Haley hesitated, not sure where to go from there.

"Virginity?" Taylor supplied.

"Yeah, thanks, Sis," Haley said. "Anyway, he said some really mean things and all of a sudden, Nathan's jaw was ticking, and the next thing I know, Drew's nose is broken."

Taylor sighed. "I _knew _I should have stayed in with you tonight," she said.

888

It was 2:30 in the morning, and Brooke was following Lucas around while he was packing his suitcase. "Lucas, you cannot leave me here alone!" she said.

"You won't be alone," he told her.

Brooke looked at the three little girls sitting on Lucas' bed with a bowl of popcorn watching Finding Nemo, still wide awake. "You can't leave me here with them," she said, motioning to Laney, Maddie, and Lily."

Lucas turned around long enough to place a soft kiss on her forehead, "Baby, you'll be fine," he repeated.

"Lucas!" she said, slightly panicked.

"Baby, they'll be out in no time. And my mom is picking up Lily first thing in the morning, and Deb is picking up Maddie before noon," he reminded her.

"But Lucas…" she whined.

He turned around again and looked into her eyes. "Baby, you can do this. I know you can."

"You're insane for leaving me with them," she told him.

"It's going to be good practice for when we have more kids," he told her.

Her eyes softened. "You think about us having kids?" she asked.

He grinned. "All the time," he said. "I want another little girl who looks just like her mom, and a little boy who looks like the both of us. My eyes, your hair color and skin coloring."

Brooke grinned and leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. "Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of everything on this end."

"Thank-you, baby," he said. "I need to leave now if I'm gonna make my flight," he said with one more kiss.

888

"Mr. Scott," the guard said as he unlocked Nathan's cell, "you're free to go. The charges have been dropped."

"What?" Haley exclaimed in good surprise.

"The charges have been dropped," the guard repeated.

Nathan stepped out of the cell and Haley wrapped her arm around his waist, putting her head on his chest. "Thank God!" she whispered. She pulled away and took his hand, leading him down the hallway toward the front of the police station. Her parents had left about half an hour ago, with Taylor and Tyler. When she stepped out of the hallway and into the main part of the building, she froze. Nathan walked straight into her, almost knocking her over. He had to grab her arm to steady her, and she didn't even acknowledge it. He followed her gaze to one of the chairs in the lobby occupied by a very pregnant woman. "Hales?" he said softly.

She shook her head to pull herself back to the present. "I'm OK," she said. "Let's go." She looked at him and smiled, and taking his hand, started for the exit.

They were walking past the woman when she stood. "Haley?" she said softly.

Haley kept walking. Nathan stopped and pulled her to a stop with him. "She's talking to you," Nathan said, motioning towards the woman.

"I know," Haley said.

The woman approached cautiously. "How are you, Haley?"

"You're kidding, right?" Haley said. At her tone, Nathan placed his hand protectively at the small of her back.

"Look, Haley, don't you think it's been long enough?"

"Lisa, I don't think it'll ever be long enough," Haley said to her. "You were my _best_ friend. You slept with my boyfriend, and then you married him! What do you want from me?"

"I guess I need you to forgive me," she admitted.

Haley laughed bitterly. "That's never going to happen," she said.

"Clearly you've moved on," Lisa said, motioning to Nathan.

Haley shook her head. "Just because I've moved on doesn't make what you did to me OK, Lisa."

"I was the one who convinced Drew to drop the charges," Lisa told Haley.

"Oh, well in that case, I forgive you," Haley said sarcastically. "Let's go," she said turning to Nathan.

888

Nathan and Haley were laying on the bed in one of the spare bedrooms at her sister's house. He was lying on his back with his hands beneath his head on the pillow, and Haley was on her stomach on the other side of the bed.

"Do you think you'll ever forgive her?" Nathan asked softly.

Haley shrugged her shoulders. "What does it matter?" she asked.

"It matters to _her_," he reasoned.

"Are you on her side?" Haley asked, holding her breath for his answer.

"No," Nathan said, shaking his head.

Haley's breathing regained its regularity.

"But if you look at from an objective point of view, two things are immediately obvious."

"And what are those two things?"

"Well, for starters, she's stuck with Drew. Even if they break up, she's having his babies, so she's tied to him for life. Don't you think that's punishment enough?" When Haley didn't answer, Nathan continued. "Second of all, she lost _you_, Hales. I know _I'd _be devastated if that happened," he admitted.

Haley gave him a soft smile. "Thanks," was all she said.

There was a moment of silence.

"How's your hand?" she asked.

He looked at it. "It's fine," he assured her.

"Good," she said. She got up on her knees and crawled towards him with a grin on her face. When she reached him, she put one of her legs over his belly so she was sitting on his stomach. He grinned up at her and moved his hands from behind his head to her thighs. He gave them a soft squeeze. "What are you doing?" he teased.

"I'm going to kiss you," she told him, and leaning her head down, she tentatively placed her lips on his. He opened for her immediately, and she swept her tongue inside of his mouth. She heard him groan and the sound made her feel powerful. She straightened out her legs so that she was lying on top of him, feeling every inch of his body beneath hers. She felt like she couldn't get close enough to him. She felt his hands come around her waist, pulling her even closer. After a few more minutes, she felt Nathan gently pushing her off of him. She lifted her lips from his, her breathing heavy. She was glad to hear that his was as ragged as hers was. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I think the question is what are _you _doing?" Nathan said.

Haley sat up, her knees at his waist, in her previous position. She grinned down at him. "I think that's pretty obvious," she said.

Nathan shook his head. "Not like this, Haley," he said firmly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

He pushed her all the way off of him so that she was back on her side of the bed and he sat up. "Haley, you've waited 21 years for this," he reminded her. "You want to wait until you're with your husband, and I don't want to take that from you."

"But Nathan, I want you to take it. I'm _giving _it to you," she told him.

Nathan knew he was on thin ice, but he'd much rather deal with an angry Haley _now_ than he would with a Haley who was disappointed in herself for throwing caution to the wind later. "Haley, trust me when I tell you that I would love nothing more than to rip those clothes off of you and have my way with you right now," he told her. "But I won't do this because you feel like you have something to prove because of the things Drew said."

Haley was fuming. And the fact that Nathan was right made her even angrier. "I thought you _wanted _this," she said.

"Oh, trust me, I do," he assured her. "When the time is _right_, I want this. But not in a bedroom at your sisters house with your parents sleeping in the room next door. And not because of Drew."

"I don't believe this," Haley said bitterly, getting up off the bed. Nathan grabbed her hand. "Don't touch me!" she hissed.

He let go of her. "Haley, don't be like that," he said softly. She started for the door. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To sleep on the couch," she said, leaving the room without even glancing back at him.

888

At ten o'clock the next morning, Lucas didn't even have a chance to knock on the door before it flew open and Nathan walked through it. "Dude, you got out, huh?" Nathan didn't answer, just walked past Lucas and towards the cab at the end of the driveway. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

"We're going back to Tree Hill," Nathan snapped.

"But I just got here. My flight doesn't leave until tomorrow night," he said.

"I called Brooke, and she changed your ticket. Our flight leaves in two hours."

Lucas sighed as he watched Nathan put his suitcase in the trunk of the cab. "That would have been nice to know before I left," he said. He walked up beside Nathan. "What the hell happened, man?"

Nathan looked at his brother, and Lucas could feel the fury emanating from his brother. "Oh, Haley's being _Haley_," Nathan said.

They climbed into the cab, and Lucas tried several times on the way to the airport to make conversation, but Nathan just ignored him.

888

They were walking through the airport, Nathan at top speed, Lucas trying like hell to keep up with him, when he tried again. "I thought you were going to marry this woman, little brother."

"Oh, I am," Nathan said, stalking through the airport. "It's just gonna take a _hell _of a lot longer than I thought."


	25. Chapter 25

Nathan walked into the apartment, rolling his one piece of luggage along behind him. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. "What the hell?"

Lucas walked smack into him. "Geez, Nate. Warn a guy!" When he looked up, he started laughing. "Wow. It looks like the girls really did a number on Brooke," he said. There were no cushions left on the couch, popcorn littered the carpet in the living room, there were blankets in front of the television, and the coffee table was up on its side.

"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked.

"When I left at two o'clock this morning," he said, looking accusingly at his brother, causing Nathan to roll his eyes, "the girls were all still up. Eating popcorn and watching a movie. Wide awake."

Nathan swung his head around to look at Lucas. "My kid was up until two o'clock?"

"Probably even later." Lucas noticed his brother's scowl. "Hey—you were in jail! Don't be getting mad at me because Maddie wasn't sleeping at two this morning. She's a rebel, just like her daddy," Lucas joked. "Lily was here last night, so it was the three of them, and it was utter chaos. If it had been Jenny, things wouldn't have been that bad, because they're used to Jenny. But having Lily here overnight was kind of new to them."

Nathan sighed. "Maybe I should leave her at mom and dads tonight and let them deal with her."

Lucas laughed. "Yeah, right. You know you're dying to get over there and get her back on schedule."

Nathan grinned and continued on into the house. His brother knew him so well. Besides—he hadn't seen her for nearly twenty-four hours. He missed her like crazy.

They took their coats off and hung them up on the hooks by the door. "Hey, let's get this place picked up," Lucas said. Leaving their suitcases by the door, they walked into the living room and started picking up. Lucas was straightening the cushions on the couch and Nathan was folding the blankets.

"Hey, thanks for coming up to help me out," he said.

"I would say anytime, but I wouldn't mean it," Lucas said. "I'm so tired, I can hardly stand it."

"Yeah, me, too," Nathan agreed.

"So, you beat up Haley's ex-boyfriend?" Lucas asked, grinning.

"No, I just punched him once in the nose," Nathan explained, not elaborating any further. Lucas looked at him expectantly.

"Well, come on, what's the rest? You slept most of the way home on the plane, so I didn't get to grill you about anything."

Nathan shrugged and continued his folding. "He was making some rude comments to Haley. I didn't like it," he said simply.

"So…what?" Lucas asked. "You put on your superman cape and swooped in to save the day?"

Nathan sighed. "Pretty much."

"Wow. She must have given you one hell of a thank-you," Lucas joked.

"Oh, yeah," Nathan said sarcastically. "_That's_ why I ran out of there like a bat of hell."

"Well what happened?"

"I…am not even gonna go there," Nathan said, and then sighed. "Let's just say, the woman is hot, and cold, and then hot again. She's just…all over the place. I think that her ex-boyfriend really did a number on her."

"You think she's still in love with him?"

"No, I'm pretty sure there are no lingering feelings there. I think he just made her feel so insecure that she doesn't think she has what it takes to keep a man."

There was a short pause. "Dude, do you think Jake's right?" Lucas asked.

"What do you mean?" Nathan returned, confused by the change of subject.

"Do you think we have too much girl talk?"

Nathan dropped the blanket he was holding and his scowl came back. "Dude, its manly chat!" he argued heatedly.

"Well, it doesn't feel very manly," Lucas said. "I feel like I should…go…burp or…touch some of my manly parts…or _something_."

"OK, _that_ was entirely too much information, and worse than any girl talk _I've_ ever heard," Nathan said, disgusted. "Maybe we just shouldn't talk right now," he said abruptly.

Lucas shrugged, but apparently he agreed, because he didn't say another word while they finished picking up. When they were done, Lucas went in to clean up the kitchen and after unpacking his suitcase, Nathan went to his mother's to pick up his daughter.

888

Lucas finished up in the kitchen, and then went upstairs to check on Brooke and Laney. He walked in with just the light from the hall, not wanting to disturb Laney's slumber. "Brooke?" he whispered, shaking her. "Brooke?" he said again, when she didn't wake up.

Her heard her moan softly, just enough for him to wish that Laney wasn't in the room. He loved that sound she made. Especially when it was because he was getting her to where she wanted to be. She slowly opened her eyes, and then they fell shut again. All of a sudden they flew open, as if she'd just realized that it was him, and she bolted upright into a sitting position. She threw her arms around him. "Oh, Lucas, thank God you're home!" she whispered. She kissed him on the cheek. "I've never missed you so much."

He looked at her and grinned. "I wish Laney was in her own bed," he said, smoothing her hair.

Brooke sighed. "It wouldn't matter, Lucas. I am thoroughly exhausted," she told him.

"Yes, but I want to thoroughly exhaust you even more."

She laughed. "Honestly, I don't think you could."

"Honestly, I'm dying to try," he shot back.

"How about just one hot kiss before I leave to go home and sleep for the next three days?" she offered instead.

"The hot kiss part sounds good, but if you think I'm gonna go three days without being inside of you—think again," he said.

She slapped the back of his head softly and then blushed. "Lucas!" She moved her eyes to Laney. "Not in front of the kid!"

Lucas grinned. "She's fast asleep," he assured her. "Besides, I'm whispering."

Brooke giggled softly. "I don't think I'm a very good babysitter," she admitted, changing the subject.

"Oh, baby, why not?" he asked, kissing her on the nose.

"Did you even _see _the downstairs when you walked in?" she asked incredulously.

He grinned. "Yeah. It was adorable."

"Would it be that adorable if you had to clean it up every day?"

"OK, well, it wasn't _that_ adorable," he confessed. "But, Brooke, all of that stuff—the multitasking and prioritizing—comes with time. It doesn't happen the first time you're left alone with three kids."

"I know," she said begrudgingly. "You know what?"

"What?" he asked.

"They never went to bed until four!"

"Heathens!" he exclaimed with a look of mock surprise.

"I know! I could barely keep my eyes open, and these girls were jumping up and down on the bed. We're not even married yet, and already, I'm like an old married woman!" she said.

Lucas wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Don't worry. We'll work on your stamina."

"Lucas!"

"By the way," he said. "Have I told you how hot you look in my T-shirt?"

Brooke grinned. "No, actually, you haven't."

"Well, you do." He grabbed the collar of his T-shirt she was wearing with one hand, and pulled her to him, the other on the small of her back to get her closer to him faster. She started to say his name in protest, but before she could finish, his lips were on hers, devouring her. She ran her hands through his hair and wiggled, trying to get closer to him. She gave in only for about thirty seconds before reason took over and she pulled away, trying to catch her breath.

"My God, Lucas. What is wrong with you?" she asked, looking him up and down. She'd never had him want her so badly before. She liked it.

He took her hand and put it on the fly of his jeans. "You tell me," he said.

"_You_ are much too daring tonight," she told him, pulling her hand away from his obvious arousal. "One of us has to be the voice of reason, and for once it's going to have to be me."

"Oooohhh," he groaned. He let her go and laid softly back down on the bed so as not to disturb Laney. "You're right, I know you're right. But that doesn't mean I like it," he said.

Brooke stood up and pulled her jeans on. She pulled her earrings off his dresser and put those on, too. She walked over and leaned down to give him a kiss. "I have to go. I need sleep."

As she turned around, Lucas grabbed her hand. "Can't you just stay here with us?" he asked.

Brooke laughed. "No, way," she said. "Laney and I have been sleeping all day ever since your mom picked Lily up and Deb picked Maddie up. This kid is going to wake up any time, and probably be awake for the entire night." She smiled smugly. "And I'll be home sleeping." She pulled her hand away from his. "Good night, handsome."

888

"Yeah, I wake up every morning with heartburn," Peyton told Bevin, who was on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, will if you're up at two a.m., give me a call," Bevin said.

"Are you waking up with it, too?" Peyton asked her pregnant friend.

"No, I set my alarm for two o'clock every morning for practice. I want to make sure that I'm going to be able to wake up when the baby does," she explained. Bevin still didn't know the sex of her baby. She and Skills had decided that they wanted to be surprised.

Peyton laughed at her friend's logic as she pulled a carton of ice cream out of the freezer. Her first craving was Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk. Yesterday she'd eaten two pints. She wasn't sure if it was an actual craving, or if the baby was an excuse to eat what she wanted to. Either way, she was OK with it. "Bevin, you do realize that you're not giving birth to an alarm clock, right? You're having a _baby," _she teased.

Bevin laughed. "Yes, but I'm preparing myself for every situation," she said. "You know, I had heartburn during my first trimester. Any time I ate dairy it seemed to bring it on."

Peyton groaned and put the ice cream back in the freezer. "Bye, Ben. Bye Jerry," she said, closing the door.

Bevin laughed. "Yeah, I've eaten a lot of Phish Food throughout my pregnancy," she confessed.

Peyton winced. "That's my second favorite."

"So," Bevin said cautiously, "have you given any more thought to telling Jake?" she asked.

"No," Peyton said quickly. "I'm not gonna tell Jake. I'm sure he has a lot on his plate with Jenny and basketball right now. And break will be over in a few weeks," she reasoned, "so he'll also have to juggle school."

"Nice excuses, Peyton," Bevin said. Bevin was Peyton's friend, and as such, would be there for her. But she made no bones about the fact that she thought Jake should know. She didn't ever push Peyton on the issue, but she did make sure to mention it at least once during each of their conversations, hoping that it would keep Peyton thinking.

Peyton sighed. "Real subtle, Bev."

On the other end of the phone, Bevin grinned. "Ahh, well. It got my point across. So," she started, "for the real reason I called…"

"Bring it on," Peyton prompted.

"Skills and I are having a little bit of anxiety over not being married before the baby is born, so we're going to get hitched next week. And I would love for you to fly out and be here with us."

"Oh, Bevin, that's so great," Peyton said, tearing up. "I am so glad for you guys."

"Yeah, well, we are, too. We thought we wanted a big wedding, but it's more important to us that we be man and wife before the baby is here. Actually, I was OK with not being married, but you know Skills. His testosterone is acting up again," she teased.

Peyton laughed. "Well, _I _think it's a good thing. And of course I will fly out to be there for you. Just name the date."

The girls ironed out the details, and then hung up after their good byes. For the first time, Peyton was glad that Bevin and Skills had gone away to Charlotte to go to college. It meant she could be there for the wedding without worrying about running into Jake.

Peyton was so happy for Bevin and Skills, but if she were to be truthful, she was also a little envious. Not because she didn't want them to be happy, but because she wanted to be that happy, too. _Oh, well, _she thought, trying to shrug it off. _Maybe someday. _She put her hand on her belly and gave it a little pat. "Someday," she said out loud.


	26. Chapter 26

A week and a half later, Haley had her suitcase behind her, and her key poised in front of the lock when the door flew open and Brooke squealed. "Haley James! I am so excited to see you!" she exclaimed. "I missed you to pieces!" She grabbed her friend and pulled her into a hug.

"Ummm…hi, Brooke. I missed you, too," Haley said, but while she was excited, her greeting lacked Brooke's enthusiasm. When she had left Maine, she was definitely ready to be gone, but the closer she got to Tree Hill the more nervous she'd become. She knew that she'd been melodramatic with Nathan the night before he'd left. _Without a goodbye_, she thought, still a little bitter about that. But he'd only been looking out for her, and she'd known he wanted her. Still, he'd put her desires before his, and to Haley, the fact that he could do that was nothing short of amazing. Further proof that he was nothing like Drew. Not that she'd ever really thought he was, but it was nice to know just how much he _wasn't_. Now she was going to have to talk to him and let him know that he'd been right to stop them. And she was not looking forward to that. Her pride had already taken quite a beating.

Brooke pulled away, and then grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the apartment, snapping Haley from her thoughts. And then she grabbed Haley's suitcase and placed it just inside the entry way, slamming the door. "So, let's have a chat," she said. Haley rolled her eyes. She was not looking forward to having this conversation with Brooke.

Brooke went over and sat down on the couch, and after taking off her coat and hanging it up, Haley followed suit. "So," Brooke started, "here's the thing. With Peyton gone, my squad is one man down," she continued. "Luckily, I talked to them, and they are willing to take you on without even trying out! Isn't that amazing? You are so lucky!" she said animatedly.

Ok, so she wasn't expecting _that. _Haley couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. "Are you kidding?" At Brooke's straight face, Haley realized that she wasn't. "Oh, you're not kidding," she said in a small voice. She cleared her throat in the hopes of making her voice stronger. "Here's the thing—no, thanks!" She stood up and started to walk away, but Brooke grabbed her hand and pulled her back down on the couch.

"Haaaaaaaaley," Brooke whined.

Haley sighed. "Brooke, this is ridiculous. You've seen me walk," she said. "I break things. By accident."

"Yes, but I think we can remedy that, I really do. And just think, free admission to all of the basketball games. You could save even more money to get that laptop you're so desperate to have."

"OK, two things," Haley said. "One—I already have free admission, because I'm a student. Two—I have a laptop."

"Oh, wow! Did your parents get you one for Christmas?" she asked excitedly.

Haley shook her head. "It was from Nathan and Maddie," she said quietly.

"Awww," Brooke breathed. "That is so sweet. That future brother in law of mine is so very sweet," she said, glancing at Haley slyly.

"Stop pimping him!" Haley said.

"It was just a thought," Brooke said hurriedly. "Anyway, you look so great in black! The uniform will be adorable on you!" she said.

"I have a deal for you," Haley bribed, knowing that there was no way in hell Brooke would go for it. "I'll join your squad."

"Goodie!" Brooke said, clapping her hands excitedly. Then she immediately stopped. _She'd spent way to__o__ much time with Laney,_ she thought to herself, grinning.

"Under one condition," Haley continued. Brooke looked at her expectantly. "There is no way that I am going to be able to afford living here if I have to pay half of the rent. So, we need another roommate. We interview, and I get to pick."

"Done!" Brooke said. "Welcome to the squad!"

"What?" Haley asked in disbelief, unsure of what had just happened even though she'd initiated it.

Brooke shrugged. "What do I care? If you pick a freak, I'll just go stay at Lucas'," she said with a wink.

"But—"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. A promise is a promise, Haley James," Brooke reminded her.

Haley sighed, crossed her arms, and slumped down on the couch. _I am so screwed_, she thought.

Brooke jumped up. "I need to call the girls!"

888

Four days later, Haley was a nervous wreck. She had been practicing non-stop, thanks to Brooke and the rest of the girls. Classes didn't start up for another few days, so it wasn't even like she could plead studying. She had to admit, though, she _did_ look good in black. She'd looked herself over in the mirror at least a dozen times before she left the apartment. But unfortunately, looking good in black was not going to make her look capable courtside. Hence the nervousness. Haley just wanted to get out there and get at least the first quarter over with. She was sick on the anticipation.

"Come on, girls, let's go stretch," Brooke said, leading the girls out onto the floor. Haley followed, last in line, and when she got out into the gymnasium, she had to force herself to swallow. She looked at the crowds of people on both sides and could feel her palms getting sweaty already. She hadn't realized before how many people could fit in here. It was all a little overwhelming to her.

"You OK, Hales?" Brooke asked, sitting on the floor with her legs in front of her in a v, leaning down into them to stretch her hamstrings.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Haley said, not taking her eyes off the crowd. They went to the table in between the two team's benches, and Haley saw the guy with the spiky hair sitting there and sighed. She was going to miss his play by play of the game. She loved to hear him talking about Nathan being on fire. Immediately, her thoughts when to the two of them in her sisters room on New Years Eve, and suddenly Nathan being on fire had a whole new meaning to it. She could feel her cheeks flaming.

She felt Brooke's on her shoulder. "Haley, everything is going to be fine. You're gonna be great," she assured her.

Haley smiled weakly. Obviously her friend had mistaken the reason for her coloring. "Thanks, Brooke," she said, giving her a quick hug.

Suddenly, on the other end of the gymnasium, the locker room doors opened and the guys ran out onto the floor, starting to practice shots for the game. When the Bulldogs started running for the basket that the cheerleaders were under, Haley went into a slight panic mode. She still hadn't talked to Nathan yet, and now he was going to be standing just a few feet in front of her. _Awkward_, she thought, focusing on her breathing.

888

"Well, well, well, would you look at that?" Jake said, as Nathan shot from the free throw line. He was concentrating intently. Tonight was a big game and he wanted all of his focus to be on the court tonight.

"Jake, leave the cheerleaders alone," Nathan said, rolling his eyes.

"It's not _all_ of the cheerleaders that I'm interested in," Jake said. He took his eyes off the basket and they went to the cheerleaders, fully expecting to see Peyton there in her uniform. What he saw instead was much more of a shock. His eyes made their way down the line of females until—_Haley!? What the hell?_ he thought.

Lucas gave him a pat on the shoulder. "She took Peyton's spot," he said.

Nathan's head whipped around so he was facing his brother. "You knew that Haley was cheering and you didn't tell me?" he asked accusingly.

Lucas grinned from ear to ear. _He looks like that stupid cat from Alice in Wonderland,_ Nathan thought. "Yep," his brother said.

"Why not?"

"Because," Lucas said tauntingly. "I wanted to see that look _right _there." He pointed to Nathan's face.

Nathan would have killed his brother if they weren't about to start an important game. How the hell was he supposed to focus now? At least if he'd been warned, he would have had time to come to terms with the fact that Haley would be there in that suddenly teeny tiny skirt all night. _And really,_ he thought. _When did cheerleading tops become so tight?__ Was she even going to be able to __**move**__ in that?_

A few of the guys came up to stand beside Nathan, Lucas, and Jake, and followed their gazes. "Wow," one of the other guys on the team, Isaac, said. "Fresh meat."

Nathan started grinding his teeth.

"She's hot as hell," he commented.

He was pretty sure that there was steam coming out of his ears now.

"I wonder what she's doing after the game," Isaac continued.

Nathan forced himself to breathe in and out, and he put another free throw up. Nothing but net. "Oh, that's Maddie's mother," he lied.

"Damn," Isaac said. "She's yours?"

Nathan grinned, "Yep, all mine," he confirmed through gritted teeth.

"Lucky bastard," he said, walking away.

_Well, he got the bastard part right,_ Nathan thought. He looked up and Lucas and Jake were staring at him, grinning.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Nathan asked annoyed.

Jake laughed. "You're so gone."

He high fived Lucas, and at the buzzer, they took off for the locker room.

888

Two things happened that night: One, Nathan played the worst game not only of his college career, but quite possibly, of his life. Two, by the end of the game, Haley was positive that she was the most jinxed cheerleader in history.


	27. Chapter 27

Haley was sitting on the bleachers in the gymnasium, still in her cheerleading uniform. She'd seen Lucas and Jake, plus several of the other basketball players leave through the gym. She hadn't seen Nathan or his coach come out yet, which Haley did not take as a good sign. The gym had cleared out nearly an hour ago. The only other person here was the custodian, sweeping beneath the bleachers. Haley was studying her fingernails when she heard the door from the locker room open and then slam shut. She looked up and Nathan was walking across the gym towards the exit. "Hey, Nathan," she said, just loud enough for him to hear, standing up from the bleachers and walking towards him.

He stopped and turned around. "Hey, Hales," he said. He looked beat and he was still sweaty from the game. He'd changed back into his dress pants and dress shirt, the first few buttons on his gray shirt undone, his tie thrown haphazardly around his neck. Haley thought he looked incredibly sexy and had to hold back a sigh.

She cleared her throat so that her voice wouldn't sound breathy. "Sorry about your game tonight," she said, falling into step beside him as they continued towards the door of the gym.

Nathan gave her a tired grin. "It's OK," he said. "Suddenly my night is looking up."

_Yep, _Haley thought. _It's things like that that make this man so irresistible. _"Good," she said, smiling back. "Did you catch hell from the coach?" she asked.

Nathan shook his head. "No, he was just concerned and wanted to know if I had any idea why my game was so off."

"And?" she prompted when he didn't continue.

He motioned towards her cheering uniform. "Seeing you in that short skirt tonight certainly didn't help," he told her.

She laughed. "Oh, please. Don't blame this one me. I know that you're concentration can be flawless."

He grinned and then yawned. "Maddie and Laney have both had the flu for the last few days and I'm exhausted. Laney's just been sleeping a lot, but Maddie's been up getting sick constantly," he said.

"Oh," Haley said softly. "That's awful."

Nathan nodded. "Yep. But she sure is a trooper. She just grabs the trash can by my bed and goes for it. And then we clean her up and change the trash bag again," he said on a forced laugh. "She hasn't been sick for most of the day, so I think she might be getting better now," he told Haley.

"That's good," she said. "How's Jenny doing?"

Nathan shrugged. "I'm not sure. She and Jake haven't been back to the beach house since Christmas," he told her. He put an arm around her and kissed her on the forehead while they continued walking. "I missed you," he told her, changing the subject.

"I missed you, too," she said softly.

"Why didn't you let me know that you were back?" he asked.

Haley sighed. "Because I wasn't very nice to you before you left Taylor and Tyler's," she told him. "I didn't feel very good about the things I said to you, and to be honest…crow doesn't taste very good," she said on a small laugh.

"Then don't have any," he said. "I don't need an explanation. And I don't want you eating anything that you don't like." He grinned. "I'm just glad to see you again."

"I do need to clear one thing up," she pressed.

"What's that?" he asked.

"The situation with Drew may have prompted me to start what happened, but I'd wanted to kiss you again ever since you kissed me on Christmas Eve at your parent's house. And I didn't want you to think otherwise. I wanted to kiss you because of _you_, not because of Drew," she clarified. "I kissed you because…angry Nathan was so damn sexy," she said, grinning.

Nathan laughed as he opened the door for them to exit the building. He barely heard it close behind them. "Yeah, well, honest Haley is pretty damn sexy, too, and if I hadn't been taking care of sick Maddie for the last two days, I'd kiss her senseless."

Haley stopped and he came to a halt at the tug of her hand. "I've been taking my vitamins," she whispered before she stood up on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so her lips could reach his. "So kiss me senseless," she dared him, raising one eyebrow.

Nathan dropped his gym bag and wrapped his arms around Haley, forcing her body to come crashing into his. He growled low in his throat at the feel of her again and ran his tongue along the seam of her lips. Her mouth opened immediately for him. He swept his tongue inside, and Haley put her hands in his hair, tugging on it, not enough so that it hurt, but enough to let him know that she was losing control. She sighed deeply and he felt it in his mouth, giving it a different sensation—one that he liked. When he felt her shiver, he pulled away, and with one hand, took hers, and the other picked up his gym bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "We need to get you out of the cold," he said.

"That's fine," Haley said. "But _not_ why I was shivering."

Nathan looked down at her and grinned, giving her another soft kiss on the lips. "You turn me on, Haley James," he said, as he walked her towards her car. Theirs were the only two left in the parking lot. He took her keys and unlocked the car door for her, and taking her bag from her, put it in her back seat. Haley got in the front seat of her car and started it, turning the heater on immediately. Nathan closed the back door, and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Good-night, Hales," he said. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me, too," she said. She had to force herself not to grab him and kiss him again, but she was sure he was anxious to get home to Maddie to see how she was doing, so she refrained. She watched him walk to his vehicle, and didn't leave the parking lot until she saw that it was started and his headlights were on.

888

Lucas went to his mom's after the game to see how Laney was doing. When he got there, she was bouncing off the walls, a little bundle of energy. Lucas walked up behind her and picked her up. "Whoa, there, Blue! What are you doing?"

"Hi, Daddy!" she said, turning herself around in his arms. "I was pretending to be Tigger. You know why?" she asked.

"No. Why?"

"Because the wonderful thing about Tigger, is that Tigger's a wonderful thing. His head is made out of rubber, and his tail is made out of spring!" she said, giggling.

Lucas laughed at his daughter. "I wonder what _you_ watched tonight," he joked.

"Winnie the Pooh!" she told him.

He sat down on the couch beside his mother, who was yawning. It was 10:30 p.m., but Laney had been sleeping for most of the past two days, and apparently hadn't been tired tonight when Lily went to bed. "Hey, Ma," he said.

Karen grinned at her son. "I saw your game on television," she told him. "You did a great job tonight," she told him.

He grinned. "Better than Nathan," he said, laughing. "Finally. And all that had to happen was that he had to be sleep deprived for two days," he joked.

All of a sudden Laney's face turned green and she threw up in Lucas' lap.

Karen jumped up and left the room to go get something to clean it up with. "Don't you just _love _karma?" she said on her way out.

Laney started crying. "Daddy, I don't think I feel very good," she said.

He smiled softly at his daughter. "Yeah, Blue, I don't think you do, either."

Her eyes welled up with even more tears. "I'm sorry I puked on you," she wailed.

Lucas rubbed her back and put her up on his shoulder like he did when she was a baby. "Sshh," he said to calm her. "I don't care about that, Blue. You can puke on me all night long if you need to," he said softly.

She only continued crying.

Karen finally came back into the room and started cleaning what had gotten on the couch. When she was done, she took Laney from Lucas so he could go change.

Lucas finally walked out in a T-shirt and a pair of NY Knicks pajama bottoms. He took his daughter from his mother, and brushed her hair away from her face. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "We're going to get going," Lucas said.

"Lucas—you can't drive with her like that," Karen scolded.

"I know I shouldn't," Lucas said speaking softly. He didn't want to upset Laney again. She had stopped crying, but he could still feel an occasional sob wrack her body. "But I don't want you guys to all get sick, too," he reasoned.

Karen shook her head. "If we're going to get it, it's probably too late now," she said. "Just stay for tonight."

Lucas nodded. "Thanks, Mom."

She smiled at him. "You're welcome. Do you want me to go turn down your bed for you?" she asked.

Lucas shook his head. "No, but do you have any Tylenol?" he asked, his hand on Laney's forehead. "She's burning up."

Karen quickly left the room. "We need to get you in a bath, Blue," Lucas told his daughter. He needed to get her in tepid water as soon as possible so he could try to get her temperature down.

"Daddy?" Laney said softly.

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"I want Mommy."

Lucas was confused. "What, honey?" he asked.

"I want Mommy," she repeated.

It suddenly dawned on Lucas that she was asking for Brooke. "We'll get her," he promised.

After giving Laney her Tylenol, Lucas filled the tub with lukewarm water while his mother called Brooke for Laney.

It was a fifteen minute ride from Brooke's apartment to Lucas' mother's house. Brooke made it in just under ten.

She ran up the front steps of Karen and Keith's house, and didn't even knock. She just barged right into the house. She skidded to a stop in front of Karen.

Karen couldn't help it; she was standing there with a grin on her face. "Where are they?" Brooke demanded a green mud mask still on her face. Clearly she'd been having a girl's night in. Karen pointed toward the bathroom and Brooke took off running. It was then that Karen fell in love with her future daughter in law. She was going to be wonderful for Lucas. And for Laney.


	28. Chapter 28

_For flipflopgal--who __is totally hot for Brucas and loves to remind me:) (It's OK, though, because I love hearing it. I love Brucas, too!)_

_And to everyone who reviews faithfully, thanks so much!_

_And to everyone who reviews at all, every little bit helps, and you guys never cease to amaze me with your kind words! _

_I love all__ of __you reviewers__ and readers__ to pieces!_

The next morning, Haley was in the student union at one of the tables reading a book. Classes hadn't started yet, but some of the buildings were already up and running in anticipation of the spring semester. She wanted somewhere neutral to hold her appointments, and she thought that this location was perfect!

She'd already met with two prospective roommates and she shuddered just thinking about them. First of all—both of them had been 10 minutes late, and if there was anything Haley hated, it was tardiness! And to top all of it off—the first one had wanted to make it very clear that she was not going to move into any apartment without her pet snake. It was only a four foot python, rather small for a python, she'd insisted. And then she'd proceeded to show Haley a picture of her "baby" that she had in her wallet and the one on the screensaver of her phone. The second girl seemed normal, but at the end of the conversation she had asked if it was OK if her boyfriend lived there rent free for a little while. He was currently between jobs, but he'd been looking for six months and had a lot of prospects lined up.

Haley had told each girl that she'd be in touch. No chance in hell would they be living with her. She had one final appointment this morning, and if it didn't go well, she was going to bite the bullet and pick up more hours at the restaurant so she'd be able to pay half of the rent. She couldn't handle meeting with people like this any longer.

She'd finally started concentrating on her book when someone sat down across from her. She immediately recognized him as someone she'd seen around but never spoken to. "Uh…hi," she said. "That seat is kind of—taken," she told him.

"Are you Haley?" he asked.

"Yes," she said cautiously.

He introduced himself. "You sent me a text message yesterday. I'm here to talk to you about the room you have for rent."

"Oh," Haley said, finally realizing what had happened. "You didn't text me your name, so I just assumed that you were a female," she told him. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, but the ad actually stated that I'm looking for a female roommate."

He stood up. "Well, in that case, I'm sorry for wasting your time," he said. "Thank you anyway. It was nice meeting you, Haley."

She wasn't sure why she did it, but she did. She followed her gut and threw caution to the wind.

"Wait!" she said.

He turned around.

"Do you have a pet snake?"

Puzzled, he shook his head.

"An unemployed boyfriend who wants to live with you rent free until he finds a job?"

Again he shook his head. "I like women," he said, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

Haley nodded. "Good. So, what do you say you have a seat, and we continue with this interview? I just met with a couple of females who, quite frankly, scared the life out of me. My guess is that you can't be worse than they were."

He grinned and sat back down. "I hope not," he said, laughing.

Haley sat and talked with him for about an hour, and found that she really liked the guy. She hoped that Brooke didn't mind a male roommate. They hadn't really discussed it, but in all fairness, Brooke _had_ said that Haley could choose their new roommate. And to be honest—she didn't know many _girls _that she liked this much.

"So, when did you want to move in?" Haley asked.

"Well, I'm flying to Colorado tonight to visit some friends before school starts back up. I'll be gone for five days, and I'd like to move in as soon as I get back," he told her.

Haley nodded, gathered her books, and stood up. "Great," she said smiling. "You've got yourself two new roommates." She'd told him a little about Brooke, and he didn't seem worried about the prospect of living with two females. He stood up, too, and she shook his hand. "It was great to meet you, Marvin McFadden."

He grinned. "My friends call me Mouth."

888

Brooke opened her eyes slowly, then yawned, stretched, and rolled over. She grinned at Lucas lying there sleeping, with Laney's little head on his chest. He had an arm wrapped protectively around her. Laney's fever had broken after her bath last night, and she hadn't gotten sick again, but her sleep had been restless. But since she'd been sleeping for the last two days, that was to be expected. Brooke reached over and gently touched Laney's forehead, relieved that it felt normal again. Suddenly Lucas' other hand took Brookes and he brought it to his lips and softly kissed it. "Morning, Babe," he said quietly, not wanting to wake Laney.

Brooke grinned at him. "Good morning, yourself. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure what's so good about it. I think I got all of three hours of sleep last night," she told him.

"Well, I'm waking up with _you_. That always makes my day start off right," he told her.

She just smiled at him, and then sighed, laying her head back down and looking up at the ceiling.

"So, I've been thinking," Lucas began.

Brooke laughed. "You usually are."

He grinned. "This is true." There was a short pause." So, I know that we talked about a long engagement."

"Yeah," she agreed, rolling onto her side so she was facing him. She put a hand under the cheek that rested on the pillow.

"But the thing is—I don't want a long engagement," he admitted. "I want to get married this summer," he declared.

Brooke sat up on her side of the bed. "Lucas—but we talked about it, and we agreed—"

"I know what we've talked about," Lucas said, "but I've changed my mind."

"But Lucas, we can't do that. I mean—where would we live? You and Nathan live in that beach house for free because Dan wants you both to get a good education. I live off of student loans and an allowance from my _parents_."

Lucas shrugged. "So we struggle for a year. Who cares?" he said.

Brooke choked on a laugh of disbelief. "I do!" she said forcefully.

Lucas put a finger to his lips, and then gently moved Laney off of him and onto the pillow, then stood up. Brooke followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table while he started a pot of coffee. Karen and Keith had left for work hours ago, so they were alone in the house. Finally, he had a cup for each of them, and after placing Brooke's in front of her, he sat down across from her.

"Lucas, our first year of marriage is going to be hard enough as it is. Especially since we agreed that we're not going to live together first. We're going to be learning lots of new things about each other, things that we might not even like. And we're gonna have to take those things as they come. And now you want to throw unemployment into the mix?" she asked incredulously.

"We're going to be OK, Brooke," he told her.

"Well maybe that's good enough for you, but it's not good enough for me. Up until now, our relationship has been nothing short of amazing. And I won't start our marriage off with the expectation of us being '_OK._' I know things aren't going to be perfect, but I'm not gonna let them be…_terrible_ from the start."

"They won't be," he promised.

"Luke, look," she said, reaching across the table and covering his hand with hers. "This is my first serious relationship. And we talked about that. I don't want to rush things by moving too fast."

"Then maybe you should have said no when I asked you to marry me!" he shot back hotly, regretting the words as soon as he said them.

Brooke pulled her hand away as if she'd been burned and stood up, heading for Lucas' bedroom.

"Brooke—" Lucas said, standing up and following her. "I'm sorry."

She spun around so quickly that he almost tripped over his feet trying to come to a stop. Luckily he caught his balance before falling down. She put a finger in his face. "You don't get to talk to me like that!" she spat at him, and then spun back around and headed once again for the bedroom. He watched her sit down on the bed to put her shoes on, and then grab her purse and keys off of the night stand. He stood there in the doorway getting angrier by the second, unable to say anything because Laney was still there sound asleep. He watched her lean down and give Laney a kiss on the cheek and smooth her hair away from her face, and all of his anger was gone. Until she stood up and fixed her glare on him. She stalked past him and towards the front door. Yep, his anger was back with a vengeance.

He followed her. "Brooke—"

She spun around again, but this time, he was prepared for it and halted easily. She threw a hand in the air and let it fall again. "I've shared things with you that I have never shared with anyone before. Told you things about me that _no one_ else knows. Do you think that was easy for me? Because it wasn't! I let you in! I have been nothing but honest with you, Lucas Scott, and now I'm honest with you about this, and you freak out on me?"

"I didn't mean it," he told her.

"But you said it," she said softly. "And now you can't take it back." She sighed deeply. "I have no doubts about whether or not I want to marry you, Lucas. I know that I want to be your wife. But I'm also aware that we have only known each other for _four_ months. And I _need_ to do this right—I need to be smart about it—because I'm only going to do it once. The long engagement isn't just for me—it's for you, too," she told him. "You might get to know me better and wonder what the hell you were thinking asking me to marry you."

He shook his head. "Not possible," he disputed, and suddenly, all of his anger was gone again once he realized that Brooke was afraid of him not loving her enough or him not wanting to stay with her.

"I have to go," she said softly. "Call me if Laney needs anything," she said firmly, closing the door softly behind her.

Lucas sighed and ran a hand down over his face. _What the he__ll was I thinking?_ he thought to himself. The words had just tumbled out of his mouth. And he hadn't even meant them. At least, he didn't think he had. But where the hell had they come from?


	29. Chapter 29

Brooke went back to the apartment for a quick shower, and then got into her car and drove to the mall. She needed to shop, and she needed to shop now! She'd double checked before she'd left to make sure she had her credit cards with her, and she did, so she was good to go. All this talk about not having money, and now Brooke was about to spend a bundle. It was either that or she was going to punch Lucas in the face, and since she loved his face, that really wasn't an option. The thought surprised her, since Brooke, by nature, was not a violent person. But Lucas had made Brooke feel a lot of things that she never had before. _Oh, well, one more new feeling to add to the bunch,_ she thought.

Three hours, four-hundred fifty dollars and a new credit card later, Brooke had a smile plastered on her face. She knew it would be short lived, but for now, she was OK with that. She made it home, and had her new purchases lying on her bed inspecting them when her cell phone rang. Justin Timberlake's _Sexyback. Dammitt!_ she thought, rolling her eyes. _I should have changed his ringer ID to Jan Arden's Insensitive._She opened her pink RAZR phone. "Hello?"

"Hey. I'm surprised you answered," Luke said on the other end of the phone.

"Well, I debated," she told him, sitting down on her bed. _Yeah, for about half a second._

"I want to talk," he said.

"Because it turned out so well this morning?"

Lucas sighed. "Are we broken up?" he asked softly. "Because I'd hate to think that we're broken up over a miscommunication."

Brooke took a deep breath to soothe her. It wasn't his words that were unnerving her, just the simple fact that she was talking to him. She'd never made it this far in a relationship before, and like she'd told him this morning, she wanted to do the right thing and be smart about it. "No, Lucas, we're not broken up. We just had an argument," she said, choosing her words carefully.

"Can you meet me at the café? Mom and Keith are leaving town in a little while and mom is going to watch Laney for a little bit for me before they leave. I want to see you," he said. "I have some things to say to you."

_Oh, no. _Brooke thought. _That's never good. _"Sure. I'm leaving right now," she told him. She shut her phone and stood up. "Things to say to me, huh?" she said out loud, to no one but herself. "Don't think you're getting my ring back!" She figured she might as well say it, because she'd been thinking it anyway. Worst case scenario, he was going to ask for his ring back. That was fine. But he wasn't going to get it.

888

When she got to the café, Lucas was already in a booth, so she walked over and slid into the seat across from him. "Hey," he said, as she sat down.

"Hey."

"I hate the way we left things this morning," he said.

"Me, too," she agreed. "Thanks for ordering me a coffee," she said, putting some cream in her mug.

He smiled softly at her. "You're welcome." There was a pause. "I compare you to her," he said so lowly that she barely heard him.

"I'm sorry?" Brooke said, not understanding what he was saying.

He lifted his eyes. "Laney's mother. I compare you to her."

"Oh," Brooke said, surprised. She didn't know much about Laney's mother, just that she'd been married to Luke and had died in a car accident.

Lucas took a deep breath and then stretched his arms out in front of him so his palms were on her side of the table. "She was leaving me."

"What?" Brooke said in disbelief.

"When she got into her car accident. She didn't have much with her, just an overnight bag with a change of clothes. So everyone just thought that she was going to a party and staying the night, because she did that all the time. But she was coming back the next day for the rest of her stuff. And for Laney."

Brooke put her hand on his. "Lucas," she breathed.

"I—I didn't know where it came from this morning, until after you got angry and gave me a piece of your mind," he said, laughing softly. "I realized that you were afraid I was going to leave you."

Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded.

"I'm afraid of that, too. That _you're _going to leave _me__," _he admitted.

"Lucas, I'm not going to leave you." He looked away from her. She took his other hand and squeezed them both. "I'm _not_!" she told him forcefully. "I'm in this for the long haul."

He squeezed her hands back and took another deep breath. "When I first met you, Brooke Davis, I thought you were too good to be true." He shrugged. "So I figured that you were. And at first, I tried to find ways that you were _like _Sara just so I'd have an out, but there weren't enough there to justify not having you in my life. And then, when I got to know you better, I knew I wasn't going to be able to live without you, so I was always looking for ways that you were different, which was exhausting, because, Brooke, you're not like her at all."

Brooke smiled softly. "I'm not going anywhere, Lucas."

"Good," he said, getting up and sliding into her side of the booth. "I don't ever want you to."

He looked down into her eyes, and she took his face in her hands, lifting her lips to his and kissing him tenderly. "Thank you for telling me that," she said when she'd pulled away.

"You're welcome."

"But one other thing, Lucas. I laid my heart out on the line for you this morning. And you didn't take it very well. I won't be treated like that for being honest."

"And you shouldn't be," Lucas agreed. "You took the brunt of months of worrying on my part. I promise to be honest with you from now on. I don't want to let things get to that level again where I just throw it at you like I did."

Lucas put his arm around her and she settled back against it, lifting her left hand up and looking at her ring. "You know, I thought you were going to ask for your ring back," she told him.

He laughed. "You did?"

She lifted her head and looked up at him again. "You weren't going to get it," she said. "I told you. I'm here for the long haul."

888

Later that afternoon, Haley and Brooke were at their apartment, watching a tivoed episode of _Private Practice_ and chatting when the house phone rang. Brooke looked at the caller ID. "It's the beach house," she told Haley.

Haley laughed. "Well, I wonder what the beach house wants," she joked, taking the opportunity to get up and refill her drink.

Brooke hit a button on the phone. "Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Hey, Brooke," Lucas said weakly.

Brooke sat up straighter on the couch. "Lucas? Are you OK?"

"I have the flu," he told her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, me, too," he said. "I was wondering if you could come and take Laney for the night. She's been better, and I'd hate to have her get sick again because of me."

"I'm on my way," she said, hanging up the phone. "Haley!"

Haley walked back into the living room. "Yeah?" she said.

"I gotta go," Brooke told her. She already had her coat on and her keys in her hand. "Luke has the flu, and Laney's finally feeling better, so I'm gonna take her for the night."

"OK," Haley said, as Brooke headed out the door. "Wait!" she shouted, and her friend turned back around. "Can you ask him where Nathan is? I've been leaving him messages all day, and he's not calling me back. I'm kind of getting a little worried."

"Sure," Brooke said. "I'll be back in a little bit."

888

Brooke maneuvered her way into the beach house, grocery bag in one hand, unlocking the door with the other. She kicked the door shut behind her and plopped the paper bag on the counter, taking out its contents. She heard Lucas walk into the kitchen. "Hey, baby," he said weakly.

"Hey," she said sympathetically, putting ginger ale in the fridge and saltines in the cupboard. She turned around and Lucas was standing there in his bathrobe and looked awful. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked exhausted.

"Oh, Broody, you look awful," she said.

"I know," he said, walking towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" she scolded, putting up a hand in front of her to stop him. "I don't want to get sick, too."

"I probably got it from Laney," he told her. "Which means you might get it, too. I'm sorry."

"It's OK," Brooke said. "I _don't _get sick. I won't get it. Speaking of, where is our daughter?"

Lucas sighed. "If you don't want me to get close to you, then don't say sexy things like 'where is our daughter?'" he told her.

She laughed. "I'm sorry."

Brooke's question was answered when Laney came skipping into the kitchen with her overnight bag. "Hey, gorgeous," Brooke greeted her, picking her up and kissing her smack on the lips.

"Oh, now you're just trying to make me jealous," Luke teased.

Brooke laughed. "Hey, do you know where Nathan is? Haley's been trying to reach him all day long, but she hasn't been able to."

"Yeah, last I heard, he was in the bathroom throwing up," he told her.

"Oh, Nathan has it, too?"

"Yeah," Lucas confirmed.

Brooke looked around. "Is Maddie with his parents?" she asked.

"No, Deb and Dan are out of town with mom and Keith," Lucas said.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, go tell him to pack her an overnight bag."

"What?"

"She's coming home with me," Brooke said.

"Brooke—"

"Lucas, she's already been sick once, too. I don't want her getting sick again, either. Go tell Nathan to pack her a bag. And hurry up. This place is freaking me out. I can practically feel the germs in the air!" she shuddered. Laney, still in her arms, laughed. Brooke smiled down at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Nathan walked into the kitchen about five minutes later, with Maddie and an overnight bag. "Thanks for this, Brooke," Nathan said.

She smiled at him. "No problem. You guys need your rest, and Haley and I were just having a hot night of television anyway. A little Disney won't hurt us."

"Tell her I'm sorry that I didn't call," he said.

"She's not gonna be worried about you not calling when I tell her you're sick," Brooke assured him.

Nathan leaned down to Maddie's level. "I can't kiss you good-bye because I don't want you to get sick again, but be a good girl for Brooke and Haley tonight, OK?"

Maddie solemnly nodded her head. "I promise, Daddy," she told him.

Nathan smiled weakly at his daughter. "Good girl. I love you, Mads."

"I love you, too," she said, blowing him a kiss.

Nathan stood up and took his keys off the hook by the door and put them on the table. "We went to the river court with the girls today," he told her, "so their booster seats are in my SUV. You can just take that home," he told her.

Just then, Lucas walked back in the room. "Oh," Brooke said, suddenly remembering her plans for tomorrow. "Haley and I are going to Charlotte for the day," she said.

"For what?" Lucas asked.

"Lunch...and shopping," she lied. "We're leaving at six tomorrow morning."

"That's fine. You can just drop Maddie off before you leave," Nathan told her.

"No, that's not what I meant," Brooke said. "Is it OK if they come with us? I know Haley wouldn't mind. It would be kind of fun."

"Three hours in a car? Each way?" Lucas asked.

"We're leaving at six, so they might sleep in the morning. And I know they will in the afternoon because they'll be tired from shopping."

Lucas laughed. "That's fine," he said.

"Nathan?"

Nathan sighed. "OK, but if Maddie's in the car, she won't tell you if she has to pee, so you have to keep asking her," he told Brooke.

"OK, got it," Brooke said, putting Laney down and taking one of each of the little girls hands. "Oh, and we won't even bring these girls back until this place reeks of Lysol!" she warned them.

Lucas laughed. "Aye, Aye, Brooke."

Brooke gasped. "Do _not _do the Captian Jack thing unless you can deliver!" Brooke scolded him.

Laney clapped her hands excitedly. "Deliver? Are we getting pizza?" she asked.

"Err…yeah, we sure are," Brooke told her.

"Maddie can only have veggie pizza," Nathan said.

"I like pepperoni," Maddie whispered to Brooke. "Lots and lots of it."

"Maddie!" Nathan said sternly.

She turned around. "_Grammie_ lets me have whatever I want. And so does _Haley_!" she told him. "Go to bed, Daddy. You need sleep so you can feel better."

Lucas cracked up laughing. "Bye, Laney, I love you," he said.

"I love you, too, Daddy," she said.

"I love you, Brooke," he said, taking a step closer.

Brooke gripped the girls' hands tightly and took a step backwards. "Ewww!!!!!!! Don't kiss me!" she warned him. "I love you! Bye!" she said cheerfully. She looked down at Maddie and Laney "Let's go, girls."

888

An hour later, Nathan was finally asleep in bed, after spending most of the afternoon getting sick. Lucas was sprawled out on the couch in his bathrobe with the television on. He was lying on the couch, with his mouth open, snoring, when the front door opened. He opened his eyes, and Jake and Jenny walked in. "Stop!" he said, causing Jake to jump.

"Geez, Lucas! You just scared ten years off my life."

"Sorry," Lucas said. "But you might not want to come in any further," he cautioned his friend. "Nate and I are sick. The girls just got over the flu, and we're just getting it."

"Oh, great!" Jake said. "Who's gonna watch Jenny for me tomorrow?" he asked.

"Who was going to?" Lucas asked.

"_You_ were," Jake reminded him. "I have a meeting with my advisor at eight and with coach at ten."

"Oh, right," Lucas said. "I forgot about that."

Jake rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's not like I'm doing so hot," Lucas said.

Jake sighed. "I know it's not your fault. It just sucks. I'm going to have to reschedule and it was hard enough to get in to see my advisor."

"Maybe you won't," Lucas disagreed. "Maybe Brooke will watch her for you."

Jake laughed bitterly. "Yeah, because Brooke is so happy with me right now."

"She likes Jenny," Lucas said. "She just doesn't like you. Let me call her." He reached for the phone.

"Luke—"

"Just let me call her," he repeated.

Lucas got a hold of Brooke, and she told Luke that it would be no problem watching Jenny, but reminded him that she and Haley were leaving for Charlotte in the morning, so it would probably be best if Jenny spent the night instead of him dropping her off at six. Jake agreed, but had to be talked into it. Lucas finally convinced him that Jenny would be fine with Haley and Brooke, because Maddie and Laney were there, too, and that would help Jenny feel comfortable.

888

The next morning, Brooke and Haley were on the road a little late, at six-thirty as opposed to their original plan of six. Getting three little girls up and ready had taken a little longer than they'd planned, especially since getting them to sleep the night before had taken a _lot _longer than they'd planned. But the little girls were back asleep by the time Brooke and Haley reached the coffee shop and drove through for their morning beverages. Four cups of coffee and three pee breaks later, they'd finally arrived in Charlotte. They pulled up to the park that they'd found on MapQuest and Haley turned off Nathan's SUV. She turned to Brooke. "Excited?"

"As can be!" Brooke said with a squeal.

"That looks like a _nice _park," Maddie said, looking out the window.

"Oh, we're going to have so much fun!" Laney said excitedly.

Jenny sighed. "I hope I have enough layers on," she said seriously.

Brooke and Haley looked at each other and laughed. Brooke opened her door. "OK, Jenny, you're the first one out!"

Brooke opened up the back door of the vehicle and unstrapped Jenny, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She lifted her out, and Jenny spotted the figure walking towards them before Brooke even set her down, and her little legs were running before her feet hit the ground. "P. Sawyer!" she screamed. She threw herself into Peyton's wide open arms.

Brooke looked over at Haley who had tears in her eyes. "Baby," Brooke teased.

Haley's jaw dropped and she looked over at Brooke, whose eyes were shining with her own tears. Haley slapped her playfully. "You're one to talk," she said.

"Oh, Peyton. I missed you _so _much!" Jenny told her.

"Oh, I missed you, too, JJ," Peyton said, her eyes looking up at Haley and Brooke. "Thank-you," she mouthed. There were no longer tears in Brooke's and Haley's eyes. They were on their cheeks.

Jenny pushed Peyton's blonde curls behind her shoulders and then put her arms up around Peyton's neck, looking at her eyes. "Peyton, why are you crying?" Jenny asked.

"Because I missed you so much and now I am so happy to see you," Peyton told the little girl.

"Should I cry, too? Because I'm so happy to see you, too," Jenny rationalized.

Peyton laughed, "No, JJ, you don't need to cry. I don't like to see you cry."

"Well I don't like to see you cry, either. And neither does Daddy. So how about if we both don't cry?"

Peyton swallowed past the lump in her throat at the mention of Jake and nodded her head, smiling through her tears at Jenny. "That's a great idea." Peyton tried to stop crying, but she couldn't She laughed through her tears. "I'll start in a minute," she said.

"_Haley!_" Maddie said from her seat. "I want to get out!"

"Oh, crap!" Brooke said, putting a palm to her forehead. "I forgot all about them." She bit her bottom lip. "I'm gonna be an awful mother," she said, turning back to the vehicle.

Haley rubbed her friends back. "You're going to be wonderful!"


	30. Chapter 30

_Ok—first of all, I just want to say that you guys crack me up with all of your when will Jake find out? And what about Brooke and Haley? LOL All in good time, my friends._

_One thing I just want to clarify is that Peyton's only been gone for about a month, which would only make her two and a half month's pregnant, so she's not showing yet. There was some confusion surrounding this. Hopefully I've cleared it up._

_And now, onto the story…_

Jake knocked on Coach Kimball's door and waited for an answer. "Come in," he heard, and then opened the door. The Coach was on the phone and put his finger up to let Jake know he'd be with him in just a minute. Jake sat down in the chair and nervously wiped his hands on his knees. He had no idea what prompted the meeting with the coach, but he was pretty sure it wasn't good. It never was when the coach wanted to see you in his office instead of in the locker room after the game.

After sitting there for another five minutes, the coach finally hung up the phone. He sat back in his chair, put his feet up on the desk, and his hands behind his head. He fixed his gaze upon Jake, making Jake increasingly nervous. After another minute he finally spoke. "How's it goin', Jake?" he asked.

Jake swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat. "Fine."

"That so?"

Jake nodded.

The coach sighed, returned his feet to the floor, and put his elbows on the desk, leaning over it a little bit, bringing his face closer to Jake's. "Your game would suggest otherwise." Jake still didn't say anything, just sat there and nodded. "So, I'm gonna ask you again. How's it goin', Jake?"

Jake rubbed his sweaty palms on his pant legs some more. "I could be better," Jake said cautiously.

"And why's that?"

Jake sighed. He hadn't talked about Peyton once since she'd left, and he'd be damned if he was gonna talk about it with this man who didn't even know her. He shook his head slowly. "I've just made some unwise decisions lately and…I'm realizing that I can't take them back," he said quietly.

"Jenny OK?"

"Oh, yeah, Jenny's fine," Jake assured the coach. "She wasn't happy with me for a while, but we got past that and everything's OK now."

"Good," the coach said. "The thing is, Jagielski, I'm gonna have to put you on the bench."

"What?" Jake said in disbelief.

"The fact of the matter is, since you got back after Christmas, your game sucks."

"Coach, how can you say that? We won our last game!" Jake said in defense.

The coach laughed sarcastically. "Not because of you. The other guys on the team had to step up their game to compensate for you." he said, then sighed. "Look, you're a great kid, Jagielski. Your game just isn't where it needs to be right now. And neither is your concentration."

"Look, Coach, I'll play harder. I'll—practice more. I'll do _whatever _it takes. Don't bench me. I can't lose the game right now," he pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Jagielski, but my mind is made up. To tell you the truth, I'm a little nervous about this to myself. You've played with the Scott brothers for a long time. I'm wondering what it's gonna do to _their_ game to be without you, but it's something I've gotta feel out. This isn't high school ball anymore, kid. There isn't any room for drama on my court," he told Jake straight out.

Jake shook his head and jumped up. "This isn't fair! I've played my ass of for you! Now I have one bad game, and what? Suddenly I'm cursed. This is ridiculous!" he exploded, pacing back and forth in front of the coach's desk. "You can't do this to me!" Jake's panic was kicking in. If he didn't have basketball, what was going to help him keep his mind off Peyton?

The coach sat up straight in his chair and crossed his arms. "You use that tone on me again, Jagielski, and I don't care how well you play, you won't step foot on any court of mine again."

Jake sighed and sat back down, but he refused to apologize. He wouldn't meet his coach's eyes.

"You gotta git your game back, kid," the coach said softly. "Until then, I'm benching you. But don't give up Jake," he encouraged. "Play hard at practice. Keep lifting and keep working on your stamina. You can get it back."

Jake sat there for a minute. Finally, he looked up. "Is that it?" he asked.

"That's it," the coach confirmed.

Jake stood up, and walked out of the coach's office furious. He let the door slam shut behind him.

888

"P. Sawyer, watch me!" Jenny yelled, running in circles with the other little girls. Peyton smiled at her.

"So, you ready to come home yet?" Brooke asked from beside Peyton on the bench.

"I thought we weren't going to badger her about that for at least an hour!" Haley scolded her friend.

Brooke shrugged. "Well, we were also gonna leave at six a.m. this morning, _but_ what're you gonna do?" she asked sarcastically. "So, what do you say, P. Sawyer?"

"Actually—I'm wondering how you guys got Jenny here," Peyton said, changing the subject. "What did you tell Jake?" she asked.

"Oh, that was so much luck," Brooke informed her. "Jake had a meeting this morning with his advisor and the coach, and Lucas was supposed to watch Jenny for him, but him and Nathan have the flu."

Peyton started laughing. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh."

Brooke shrugged again. "It's _kind _of funny," she said on a giggle.

"But that just sucks for them. So good for me, though," Peyton continued, her eyes returning to Jenny. "I really missed her."

Brooke put her arm around Peyton. "She missed you, too. You know, Jake would probably let you see her if you would just come home."

Haley hit Brooke on the arm.

"Oww!" Brooke said. "I was _just_ saying!"

"Well_, stop_ just saying," Haley told her. "This is girl's day out! Don't ruin it by bringing reality into it."

"Yeah, well, reality _always_ has a way of intruding," Brooke said.

"Uh-oh," Peyton said. "Trouble in Paradise?"

Brooke smiled to herself. "Nope. No trouble in Paradise," she told her friend. "We hit a roadblock yesterday and had to take a detour, but we're fine."

"Good." Peyton leaned out to look around Brooke and at Haley. "And you and Nathan?"

"Oh, tutor girl and Nathan are getting serious," Brooke told her. "He beat up Drew."

Peyton gasped. "You are kidding me!"

Haley shook her head. "No, she's not kidding."

"Oh, I love it! Fill me in, and don't neglect any of the details!" she said.

Haley went on to fill her in about everything up until the part where she, Haley, had acted plain stupid.

"Oh, that is so great. I bet Nathan packs a pretty hefty punch."

"Well, it was a pretty sexy punch!" Haley said dreamily. She sighed. "What am I? Twelve with a crush?"

Peyton giggled. "New love is fun," she said. "Don't scold yourself for acting like you're twelve. Enjoy being giddy! It's the best," she said wistfully.

_Change of subject,_ Brooke thought. "So, _whose_ wedding are you here for?" she asked.

Peyton smiled to herself. "Skills and Bevin's. I went to high school with both of them."

"Weren't they at Lucas' parents Christmas party?" Haley asked.

"Yep," Peyton said.

Brooke frowned. "I don't remember them."

"Well, you wouldn't, being as you got engaged that night and all," Peyton teased.

"What a great night," Brooke said. "Definitely in my top five."

Haley laughed. "What are the other four?" she asked, curious now.

Brooke sighed. "Well, let's see. There's the first time Lucas and I had sex." She looked at Peyton. "In _your _bed." Peyton elbowed Brooke in the ribs. "Oww! I was kidding! It was actually in the back seat of my car."

Haley gasped. "I've sat in the back seat of your car since the first time you slept with Lucas!"

"Oh, and the second time Lucas and I had sex." She cleared her throat. "In our shower."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I am so disinfecting our apartment."

"And—"she grinned evilly. "Well, really, who doesn't enjoy a good Brook-ing every now and then?"

"Seriously?" Peyton said. "In your top five?"

"Oh, yeah," Brooke said enthusiastically.

"But that's only four," Haley said.

"A girl can't spill all of her secrets," Brooke teased.

888

Nathan was in the recliner in his pajamas and Luke was on the couch still in his bathrobe at three o'clock that afternoon, both of them still not feeling well. They were watching Grant and Thomas Hill playing an old Duke Basketball game on ESPN classic when there was a knock on the door. They looked at each other, puzzled. "Our parents are out of town, right?" Luke asked.

Nathan nodded.

"And Haley and Brooke are, too, right?"

Again, Nathan nodded.

"Well, who in the hell could that be?" he asked, getting up and walking to the door. When he opened it, Jake was standing there.

"Hey, Luke!!!!!!" he said loudly.

And his cab driver was holding him up.

"Uh, hey, Jake. How's it goin?" Lucas asked.

Jake laughed bitterly and meant to tap Lucas on the nose, but instead, tapped him in the eye, causing Luke to jump back.

"Dude!" Lucas said angrily.

"Do you know that you're the second person who's asked me that today?"

"Look, buddy, I don't have all day," the cab driver said, handing Jake off to Lucas. "If you could just pay me, I'll be on my way."

"A little help here, Nate?" Lucas said in a raised voice.

Nathan jumped up and took Jake, guiding him to the couch, enabling Lucas to grab his wallet and pay the cab driver.

Lucas walked over to stand in front of Jake, the only thing separating them the coffee table. "Why are you drunk at three o'clock in the afternoon?"

Jake gave him a dirty look. "Do you know who the first person was who asked me that? Coach!" he said, before they could even guess.

"Well, that was nice of him," Nathan said warily.

"Nice, my ass. He fuckin' benched me!" Jake informed them, his voice slurring.

Nathan and Lucas looked at each other, surprised.

"Said my game is off," Jake continued. "Can you believe it? Like my game is off. There is no way my game is off!" he said. "And if it was off, do you know why it would be?" he asked.

Nathan and Lucas didn't say anything.

"It would be because frickin' _Peyton_ took it with her to wherever the _hell _it is she went!" he said, the anger in his voice now. "Who the hell does that? Just picks up and leaves?" he asked rhetorically.

Still, Nathan and Lucas said nothing, figuring that it was best to let Jake get everything out now, while he was drunk, because he sure as hell wasn't doing it when he was sober. When Jake didn't say anything, Lucas and Nathan sat back down, not wanting to instigate anything with Jake while he was like this. After a few minutes, they heard Jake snoring on the couch. A half hour later, Lucas and Nathan had walked him up the stairs, taken his shoes off, and put him on his bed. After Nathan left the room, Lucas covered Jake up with the blanket from the foot of his bed.

"I got benched," Lucas heard Jake say. Then he sighed. "And Peyton's gone," he continued miserably.

Lucas gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, buddy. Peyton's gone," he said softly.

"I fuckin' miss her," was the last thing Jake said before he passed out.


	31. Chapter 31

Peyton grinned as she buckled her lap belt. She'd just boarded the flight to return home to California, and she couldn't stop smiling. She'd had such a wonderful time in Charlotte. She had loved seeing Brooke and Haley, again, and when Brooke had lifted Jenny out of the backseat of the vehicle, Peyton could have sworn her heart stopped. From the looks of things, Jenny's had, too. Saying good bye to all of them again had been so hard—even Maddie and Laney. She hadn't realized how much she loved those girls, but she did. For the first time since she'd left, she questioned her decision, but when logic finally got a hold of her again, she knew she was doing the right thing.

She smiled again thinking of Skill's and Bevin's wedding. They'd gotten married that afternoon right at city hall. Peyton had thought that Bevin's parents were going to die, as they'd wanted to have a lavish celebration for their little girl, but Bevin wouldn't hear of it. All she wanted was Skills, and their closest family and friends. Peyton's grin got even wider when she thought of Skill's vows. He'd vowed to be Bevin's 'moral compass,' since she could never seem to find North.

The story dated back to a trip they'd taken back in high school, when they'd gone with a bunch of friend's to 'rough it' for the weekend in a huge lodge type home. They'd gone off exploring, Bevin swearing she was great with directions, and they'd ended up lost. They'd decided to sit tight where they were until someone came to find them. When they hadn't shown up at dinnertime, Peyton had gone outside with a flashlight, pointed it towards the woods, and yelled to them from the deck. They'd heard her form where they were, about 30 seconds from the place they were staying. Peyton still laughed when she thought of it. Skills had sworn he wouldn't talk to Bevin for the rest of the weekend, but within a half an hour, he'd walked over to her side in front of the fire and wrapped his arms around her. They'd never been able to stay away from each other for long.

Throughout the entire ceremony, Skills had kept one of his hands on her swollen belly, absently moving it in a comforting gesture, one of Bevin's hands right on top of his. Peyton put her hand on her own belly and gave it a pat, wishing that her baby was going to have a father in its life, but knowing that for now, she'd have to be enough.

888

The next morning, Haley and Brooke unloaded the girls from the vehicle and headed into the beach house. They hadn't been able to spend as much time with Peyton as they'd have liked, because she'd had to leave early for her friends wedding. But they'd gotten in tons of shopping with the girls, and they'd all had a blast. They hadn't gotten back to Tree Hill until nine o'clock that night, and after talking with the guys, decided to keep the girls again. Lucas and Nathan weren't getting sick anymore, but they were exhausted, and when Lucas had told Brooke that Jake had come home drunk, she'd flat out refused to return Jenny. Not that it mattered, because Jake was still passed out anyway.

Nathan opened the door before they even got there, and Maddie pried her hand away from Haley's, and ran to her father. "Daddy!" she yelled, running toward him. He scooped her up when she reached him and smothered her face with kisses until she giggled. "Daddy!" she squealed again.

"I can't help it," Nathan told her. "I really missed you."

She kissed him on the cheek. "I missed you, too, Daddy, but Haley took really good care of me," she told him.

"Well, that's good to hear," he said.

Maddie nodded. "She made me eat _all_ of my vegetables," she said solemnly.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, too," Nathan said. "Maybe I'll let you see her again."

"Hi," Haley said, reaching them.

"Hey, you," Nathan said softly, pulling her to him with the arm that wasn't holding Maddie. He gave her a soft kiss on the lips. When they pulled apart, Haley looked at Maddie, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Excuse me!" Brooke said huffily, "but there _are_ three other people trying to get in."

"Oh, sorry, Brooke," Haley said, following Nathan through the doorway and into the house.

Brooke walked in, holding Jenny's and Laney's hands, and then took their coats off them. "Where are Jake and Lucas?" she asked, looking around.

"They went for a jog," Nathan told her, putting Maddie down and taking her coat off, too. "They should be back anytime."

"They went for a jog in this cold?" Brooke asked.

"We played in the park yesterday!" Laney said. "In this cold."

"Yes, but you were layered, sweetie," Brooke reminded her. "Your Daddy doesn't know how to layer." She kissed Laney on the cheek and all three girls ran from the room.

"Well, if the noises through the walls are any indication, I'd say he can 'layer' pretty well," Haley whispered to Nathan.

"I heard that," Brooke said, taking her coat off and putting it on the back of the chair. "I have to use the little girls' room," she said, heading for the bathroom.

As soon as she left the room, Nathan seized the opportunity and took Haley's hands, pulling her to him. "I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you, too," she told him, just before his lips met hers.

Her mouth opened instantly, no persuading needed from Nathan. She felt his mouth widen into a grin and she pulled away, with her own grin on her face. "What are you smiling at?" she asked, laughing.

Nathan laughed. "I'm thinking about how different it is kissing you now."

Haley thought for a moment. "Different better or different worse?" she asked.

"Oh, it's always been good," he said. "But I will say--I love to know that I have the right now."

She smiled. "Then maybe you should take advantage of it," she told him.

"Oh, I intend to," he told her.

The front door of the kitchen flew open, and Jake and Lucas walked in. "Water!" Jake said, out of breath, grabbing a bottled water from the refrigerator. He drank it down in one gulp then gave Lucas an accusing glare. "I hate your hangover remedy, Scott," he informed him.

Lucas grinned. "Yes, but admit it, Jagielski, you're feeling better," he taunted.

Jake grinned back and nodded his head. "OK, it worked. But that _still_ doesn't mean that I like it," he restated.

Lucas slapped him on the back. "You don't have to like it," he told Jake. "You only have to do it. We need to get you back in shape to get you back on the court."

Haley looked from Jake to Lucas and back again. "What are you talking about?" she asked, pulling away from Nathan.

Jake sighed.

"He got benched," Lucas said.

"Luke!" Jake said furiously.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and put his hands out. "Did you think she wasn't going to find out?" he asked.

"No," Jake conceded.

"Well, all right, then," Lucas said. He looked around. "Where's Brooke?"

"She went to the bathroom," she told him. "And your daughter is fine, too," Haley teased.

"Of-course she is," Lucas agreed. "She's been with Brooke." He grinned. "But there's no one to take care of Brooke."

Brooke walked into the room. "I don't need anyone to take care of me," she said. "I'm a big girl." She walked over to Lucas and stood in front of him. He leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "How are you feeling?" she asked, looking him up and down, as if inspecting him for damage.

He laughed. "I feel great," he told her.

"Good," she said, grabbing his sweaty T-shirt and pulling him in for a kiss.

He growled, and they separated. "I missed that," he said.

Brooke laughed and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his sweaty chest.

"Get a room," Nathan said.

Jenny ran into the room. "Hi, Daddy," she greeted her father. She opened the fridge and took out her own bottled water. "Can you open this for me, please?" she said, holding her water out to him.

He ignored the water and lifted her into his arms. "I'll tell you what. I'll trade an open bottle of water for a kiss," he told her.

"I wouldn't do it, Jenny," Lucas cautioned her.

She giggled and leaned in to give her daddy a kiss. She pulled away and held her bottle of water out to him again. He laughed and opened it with one hand. She took a big drink of water. "I really missed you, Daddy," she said. "Two nights! And I didn't even cry once!" she said excitedly.

"That's because you're a big girl," he said, kissing her on the nose.

"Well, I _did_ cry once," she continued, as if he hadn't spoken. "But not because I was scared. It was because I didn't want Peyton to leave."

Jake's eyes flew accusingly to Brooke's. "What?" he said.

Brooke looked at Haley. "I think it's time for us to go," she said hurriedly, starting for her coat on the chair.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jake said, blocking her. "No one is going anywhere." He looked at Jenny, still in his arms. "How did she look?" he asked softly.

"She looked so pretty, Daddy," Jenny said, sighing.

"I bet she did," he agreed.

Jenny looked down at her water. "Maddie thinks that Haley looks more like a princess, but _I _think that Peyton looks more like a princess than Haley does. What do you think, Daddy?" she asked, returning her eyes to her father's.

He kissed her on the forehead. "I think _you're_ right," he said.

Jenny wiggled to get out of his arms. "I need to go tell Maddie!" she said excitedly, as Jake placed her on the floor. She practically flew from the room.

"And let me just tell you, that was the topic of conversation for the first two hours of the drive back," Brooke said nervously, trying to steer the conversation away from Peyton.

"You saw Peyton?" Jake said softly.

"Yeah. We saw Peyton," Brooke said, lifting her chin defiantly. "And I'm not sorry that Jenny was there. She really missed Peyton and Peyton missed her. So if you think you're gonna yell at me Jake Jagielski—"

"Thank you," he interrupted quietly.

Brooke blinked a few times in surprise. "What?" she asked, taken aback.

"Thanks for taking Jenny to see her. She _did_ miss Peyton," Jake said, then sighed. "Does this mean that Peyton is living in Charlotte?" he asked.

Brooke shook her head. "She was there for Skevin's wedding."

"Whose?" he asked.

"Skill's and Bevin's," Lucas clarified.

Jake gave him a strange look. He didn't realize that Lucas spoke 'Brooke.'

"Why weren't we invited?" Nathan asked.

"Because they wanted to keep it small," Lucas told him.

"But they invited Haley and Brooke? Who they don't even know?" Jake said.

"We didn't go to the wedding," Haley said. "We just spent part of the day with Peyton until she had to go."

"Oh," Jake said. There was an awkward pause. "Is she still in Charlotte?" he asked.

Brooke looked at her watch and then shook her head. "No. Her flight is long gone," she told him.

Jake nodded his head. "Any chance of me finding out where she is?" he asked.

Brooke shook her head. "Not from me." She looked expectantly at Haley.

"Uhh…or me," Haley said.

"That's what I thought. Well, anyway. Thanks for letting Jenny see her," he said. "You didn't have to watch her, or take her overnight, so…I'm glad you did."

"You're welcome," Brooke said to Jake as he left the room. She sighed. "Well, that certainly was _not_ the reaction I was expecting when he found out Jenny had spent time with Peyton. "

"Me, neither," Haley said.

"He misses her," Lucas told them.

"I'm sure he does," Brooke said. "So do _we_."

There was a short pause, as if no one knew what to say. They all missed Peyton.

"We have to go, Brooke," Haley finally said. "We need to get to the bookstore early today to get our books for classes."

Brooke nodded. "Right. Just let me say goodbye to Laney," she said, leaving the room with Lucas right behind her.

"So, here's the thing," Nathan started.

Haley grinned. "OK. I'll bite. What's the thing?" she asked.

"You owe us a night."

"What?" she asked confused.

"You owe us a night," he repeated. "Before you left for Maine, you were going to spend one more night with us at my parents' house, but you couldn't because your flight had to leave." He grinned. "So the way I see it, you owe us a night."

She laughed. "OK."

"Maddie and I have this tradition. We make a bed on the living room floor with just the Christmas tree lights on and we watch Rudolph on Christmas night," he told her. "We didn't do it this year, because we wanted you there."

She grinned. She was absolutely thrilled, but she'd never admit that out loud. "So you want to watch Rudolph tonight?" she concluded.

He nodded. "Yep," he confirmed. "Under the Christmas tree lights."

"Your parents do not still have their tree up!" she said in disbelief.

"They do," he told her. "Maddie wouldn't let them take it down."

She laughed. "Seriously, Nathan, who keeps their Christmas tree up until the end of January?" she teased.

He smirked. "Those crazy Scott people down the street. Is it a date?" he asked.

She grinned back at him. "Yeah," she said softly. "It's a date."

"Good," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "I can't wait to tell Maddie that we have a date tonight."


	32. Chapter 32

_This is just part one of 'the date.' Part two will obviously be in the next chapter._

"Do you think Nathan will stick around if I don't sleep with him?" Haley asked Brooke later that night, as she got ready for her date with Nathan and Maddie.

"Are you kidding?" Brooke asked, pulling the last hot roller out of Haley's hair and tossing it on the table. "That guy is crazy for you."

Haley grinned, looking into the mirror she held in her hand, watching Brooke working her magic on her hair. "You think so?"

Brooke stepped backward and put her hands on her hips. "Are you serious? He flew to Maine to rescue you!"

"He didn't know he was rescuing me."

"Yes, well, all I said was that you didn't sound well, and the next thing I know, Nathan's on a plane. Does that sound like a man who isn't going to stick around?"

"No," Haley admitted.

"Stop worrying and start living," Brooke advised her. "The insecure thing was a little endearing at first, but it's not so cute now."

Haley laughed in disbelief. "What?"

Brooke sighed and moved in front of Haley, starting to apply her make-up. She dipped a brush in some powder, blew on it, and then started moving it over Haley's face. "They guy has proven himself to you over and over again. It's time to stop playing cat and mouse. Stop for just a second and let the guy get you. You might be surprised at how much fun _that _is," Brooke said, smiling. "I know I used to think that it was the chase that was fun. But that was before Lucas. Letting yourself be caught is so much better. And remember Maddie. Nathan's a father, and he takes that very seriously. He is not going to bring someone into her life just to get rid of them. If he's letting you be a part of his daughter's life, then he's planning on keeping you around."

Haley grinned.

"What's so funny?" Brooke asked.

"I'm book smart, and you're guy smart," she stated. "I think yours is much more useful."

Brooke laughed. "Me, too." There was a pause. "As for you not sleeping with him, let's see how long _that _lasts."

"Brooke!"

"Oh, come on. Like you aren't dying to get into his pants."

Haley blushed.

"I knew it," Brooke said gleefully.

Haley pretended to pout. "Suddenly I hate the turn this conversation has taken." She still hadn't told Brooke all of what had happened in Maine, including the part about her willingness to sleep with Nathan and him being the one to stop it.

Brooke stuck her tongue out at her friend. "You started it."

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"Quick, Daddy! Move the couch out of the way so we can make the bed!" Maddie said, jumping up and down in anticipation. "I'm so excited for our date tonight!"

Nathan laughed and first moved one of the end tables out of the way, then moved the couch out of the middle of the floor and against one of the walls. Maddie grabbed one of the blankets and started to spread it out on the floor. Nathan went over and began to help her. Together, they piled a bunch of thick blankets on the floor to sleep on, and then Nathan put three pillows down, Maddie's princess one in the middle. After they were done they stood at the foot of their homemade bed, surveying the job they had finished. "Well, what do you think?" Nathan asked, looking down at his daughter.

She put her finger to her chin. "Hmm…" she said, running up the middle of the bed and rearranging the pillows.

"What are you doing?" he asked, curious.

"I'm putting Haley in the middle," she explained, looking at him over her little shoulder. "That way we can share her!"

Nathan grinned at his daughters' sense of logic and her thoughtfulness. It was one of his favorite things about her. God, he loved her. When Maddie had come into this world, he'd had no idea what to do with his daughter. Now he didn't know what he'd do without her. "Good thinking, Mads."

She grinned. "I know, Daddy."

As she returned next to him, he scooped her up and went over to plug in the Christmas tree lights, then walked towards the kitchen. "Thanks for all of your help tonight, Maddie. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you," he told her.

"You're welcome, Daddy," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Do you think Haley will like the bed we made?" she asked.

"I think she's going to _love _it," he assured her. "Especially when she founds out you made it."

"I only helped, Daddy," she said.

"Well, I think her favorite part is going to be the way the pillows are set up."

Maddie pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked up at him, grinning. "Me, too," she said.

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Haley knocked on Nathan's front door, with her overnight bag on her shoulder and one of her hands behind her back. The door opened, and Nathan stood there, holding Maddie in one of his arms. "Hi, Haley!" Maddie said excitedly.

"Hey, munchkin," Haley said, leaning in to kiss Maddie on the cheek. She took a step back and pulled some lavender roses out from behind her back. "_These_ are for you," she said to Maddie.

"Oh, Haley, they're so cute!"

Haley smiled at Maddie's choice of words.

"How come I get flowers?" Maddie asked as Nathan took a step back, allowing Haley to walk in. He closed the door behind her.

"You should always bring your date flowers," Haley explained.

Maddie wiggled in Nathans arms until he let her down. "Can I smell them?" she asked.

"You can hold them if you want to," Haley told the little girl. "These are very special roses. They're called sterling roses and they don't have thorns."

"They don't?" Maddie asked in disbelief.

Haley shook her head and passed the roses to Maddie, who immediately buried her nose in them, inhaling the scent. "Oh, they smell wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Should I put them in water?"

"Yes, you should," Haley said.

Maddie took her roses and started for the kitchen.

Haley smiled timidly at Nathan, then turned around, letting her bag fall from her shoulder and putting it on the floor next to the door. She felt Nathan's hands on her hips and he spun her around. She screeched in surprise. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

He pulled her to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," she told him.

"Well, then where's the girl who waited for me after the game the other night and then forced me to kiss her?" he pressed.

She laughed. "Oh, _forced _you?" she teased.

"Yeah," he said with a smirk.

Haley pulled his head down to hers and pressed her lips to his. She lifted her hands to the back of his neck, playing with the hair at his nape. The feel of her hands was driving him crazy. He pulled her closer, so her body was perfectly aligned with his. She sighed into his mouth; just like she had the other night and he instinctively tightened his grip on her hips. When he did, she tried to press herself even closer to him, but it couldn't be done. Finally, he pulled away, his breathing ragged. He rested his forehead on hers. "_There_ she is," he said.

"Daddy!" they heard from the kitchen. They went in and Maddie was standing there on a chair in front of the sink. "I was just going to fill the sink up with water and put my roses in it, but then I won't be able to see them. Does Grammie have a big cup that I can put them in?" she asked.

Nathan went over to the sink and opened the cupboard above it. He pulled out a clear crystal vase.

Maddie clapped her hands. "Oh, that's perfect!" she cried. "My roses will look so pretty in that vase!"

Nathan let Maddie fill the vase up with water, and then Haley helped her put them in the vase and arrange them so that they looked pretty.

"Did we get anything for Haley?" Nathan asked Maddie.

"Oh, yes, we did!" Maddie said. "I almost forgot." She jumped down off the chair and then ran into the dining room. A minute later, she came out with a box of Godiva chocolates and handed them to Haley. "Here you go, Haley," Maddie said.

Haley bent down and gave Maddie a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Maddie. I love chocolate!" Haley told her.

"That's what Daddy said. They're from him, too," she told Haley.

She looked at Nathan. "Thank-you," she said with a grin.

He smiled back at her.

"Daddy said that it would be rude to ask you if I could have one, so I'm not going to," Maddie assured her. "But if you wanted to share, I would have one."

Haley and Nathan started laughing. "I'll keep that in mind," Haley said. "What smells so good?" she asked, changing the subject. There would be plenty of time for chocolate later.

"Oh, that's Daddy's famous lasagna," Maddie told her. "It's really good!"

"It smells good," Haley said.

"It should be ready anytime," he said, looking at the timer on the oven. "We should set the table."The three of them set the table together and then sat down for some salad. By the time they were done, the timer on the oven was going off. Nathan left the girls at the table, and went to get the lasagna. He left it on the stove to cool as he cut the garlic bread. He brought everything into the room when he was done and they sat there eating together. "OK, Mads," he said. "What do we do at dinner time?" he asked.

Maddie took a deep breath and thought for a minute. "My favorite part of today was when I got my cute roses!" she said. "What was yours, Daddy?" she asked, taking a big bite of her lasagna.

Haley's eyes moved from Maddie to Nathan, loving the exchange between father and daughter.

Nathan thought for a minute. "I have two favorite parts of the day," he said.

"_Two?"_ Maddie exclaimed. "Wow! You had a _great_ day, Daddy! What were they?"

Nathan smiled at his daughter. "First of all—I loved every second I spent with you today helping you set everything up for tonight," he told his daughter. She sat there beaming, chewing her lasagna. He moved his eyes to Haley's. "And my second favorite part of the day was when we opened the door and Haley was standing there," he said softly.

Haley smiled at him.

"What was _your _favorite part of the day?" Maddie asked Haley.

Haley tore her eyes from Nathan's and turned them to Maddie. "Right now," she said honestly. "My favorite part of today is right now."

Maddie grinned at Haley and nodded her head. "Daddy's lasagna _is_ good," she said, misunderstanding Haley's answer. Haley just smiled down at her, loving every minute of being here with her and Nathan.


	33. Chapter 33

"Is it time for Rudolph yet, Daddy?" Maddie asked as Nathan shut the dishwasher. He'd just finished loading it and after turning the dial to start, he turned around.

"It sure is," he told her. "Only one more thing to do."

"Jammies?" she asked.

Nathan nodded. "Yep."

Maddie turned to Haley, who was sitting at the island. Nathan hadn't let her lift a finger since she'd gotten there, not with supper or cleaning up. "Haley—do you want to go get in our jammies?" Maddie asked excitedly.

Haley hopped down off the stool and took Maddie's small hand in her own. "I'd love to," she said, as Maddie led her out of the kitchen. Nathan was right behind them, and he placed his hands on her waist as they were going up the stairs. Haley grinned to herself, feeling the temperature rise on the part of her body where his hands were. She took a deep breath to steady herself and forced herself to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, when what she really wanted to do was whirl around and kiss him heatedly. "Shoot," Haley said as they reached Maddie's room, realizing that she'd left her bag at the foot of the stairs by the doorway. But as she turned around, she watched Nathan pull it down off his shoulder.

"Forget something?" he asked, handing it to her.

She grinned, taking the bag from him, and going into Maddie's room. Nathan continued to his own room. "What are you going to wear for jammies, Haley?"

Haley opened her bag and pulled out a pink nighty that came down to her knees.

Maddie clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Pink!" she said. "Just like mine," she said, opening her drawer and pulling out her own pink nighty. It said Daddy's Little Girl across the chest and came down to her ankles. Haley smiled when she read it.

"Just like yours," Haley confirmed. "I figured tonight we'd do _your_ power color," she told Maddie.

"Oh, yay!"

Haley couldn't resist, she picked Maddie up and kissed her on the cheek, then pulled her close for a hug. She felt Maddie wrap her arms around her neck and lay her head on her shoulder, yawning. She stroked the little girls' hair. "Are you tired already, munchkin?" Haley asked.

Maddie pulled back quickly, looking at Haley. "I am _not_ tired," she said emphatically. "I am excited to watch Rudolph!" she said.

"You girls aren't in your pajamas yet?" Nathan asked from the doorway. Haley looked up and he was standing there in a pair of gray cotton pajama bottoms, a white men's tank and bare feet. Only one word crossed her mind. _Yummy. _Her gaze started at his feet and moved up, and when she made it to his face, his eyes were dancing with amusement and he had one eyebrow lifted. _Busted,_ he mouthed to her.

Haley felt her cheeks turn red and cleared her throat, not quite meeting his eyes. With Maddie still in her arms, she crossed the room to the doorway. "If you'll excuse us, we were having a girly moment," Haley informed him. "We'll be down momentarily," she said, softly closing the door in his face. She heard him laughing on the other side of the door as he walked away, and couldn't help but grin.

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"I have to pee," Maddie said ten minutes into Rudolph. She threw the covers off her and stood up, running to the bathroom. Nathan reached for the remote and hit the pause button, not wanting his daughter to miss anything.

"She's gonna be out like a light within the next 15 minutes," he told Haley. "Can you hear her over there yawning every five seconds?" he asked.

Haley laughed. "We had a late supper," she said. "Her belly is full and all of the lights are out."

Nathan grinned at Haley. "And I was so damn excited to get my hands on you, I forgot to tell you how damn sexy you look tonight. I love those curls," he said, tugging on a lock of her honey colored hair.

Haley laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, I was so damn excited to get your hands on me, that I forgot to be offended."

"Well _what_ do you know? That _does_ make me feel better," he teased, stealing a quick kiss. "You know what else makes me feel better?" he asked.

"I'm afraid to ask," she said.

"This nighty," he told her anyway. "And who knew how hot you'd look in pink?" he teased some more, leaning in for another kiss. He lightly placed his hand on her leg just above her knee, and slowly moved his hand upward. His hand was barely grazing her skin, causing her to shiver. She lifted her hands to his head, and deepened the kiss, wanting more.

When she heard the pitter-patter of little feet, she quickly pushed his hand away, and straightened her nighty, swallowing guiltily. She looked at Maddie and smiled. The little girl smiled back at Haley, unaware of anything. That made Haley feel a little bit better. She turned back to Nathan. "This is like when I was younger and my mom or dad would walk into the room, and I'd have to jump away from my boyfriend!" she whispered to him.

Nathan cleared his throat. "So…how many boyfriends were there?" he whispered back, not meeting her eyes.

"Nathan Scott, are you jealous?" she asked, grinning.

"Not…jealous," he said slowly with a shrug. "More like…curious."

She laughed. "Yeah. You give me your list of conquests and I'll give you my list of ex boyfriends," she teased.

"And, moving on…" he said.

"That's what I thought!" she taunted, hitting him playfully on the arm.

"Haley?" Maddie said sleepily.

Haley turned to her and lay down so they were facing each other. "Yeah?"

"I think I'm ready to go to sleep," she told her on another yawn. "Can you ask Daddy to turn off the tree?"

Haley looked over her shoulder at Nathan. "Can you turn off the tree?" she repeated, grinning.

"Sure thing, Mads," Nathan said. But before he got up, he leaned over Haley and kissed Maddie on the cheek. "Night, honey. I love you," he said softly.

Maddie's eyes drifted closed. "I love you, too, Daddy. I love you, Haley," she said.

Haley sat there for a minute, speechless. "I love you, too, Maddie," she said quietly, leaning over and placing a feather light kiss on the same cheek Nathan had just kissed. She looked over her shoulder at him, tears in her eyes.

He placed a hand at her waist and gave a soft squeeze. "Every time you hear it— it gets better and better," he told her, grinning proudly. As Nathan got up to shut the lights out, Haley covered herself up and pulled the little girl to her, wrapping her arms around her, and resting her chin on Maddie's head. She felt Nathan crawl in behind her and cover himself up, snuggling in behind her and resting a hand gently on her hip.

"You OK, Hales?" he asked quietly, as if he understood the significance of the moment for her.

She nodded. "Just happy," she told him.

He leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. "Get used to it."

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Haley woke up the next morning to the smell of pancakes and sausage. She yawned, and as she started to stand up, Nathan and Maddie walked into the room. "Haley, don't get up yet!" Maddie ordered. She was carrying a small crystal vase with a single sterling rose in it, from her bouquet the night before, and Nathan had a tray with a plate of pancakes and two sausage links on it, along with a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee.

She grinned at the sight. "Breakfast in bed?" she asked.

Maddie nodded. "Breakfast in bed is fun! Me and daddy do it every Sunday," she told Haley.

Haley looked at the tray Nathan had placed before her and then up at him. She smiled softly. "Thanks," she said.

Nathan lifted his hands in front of him as if to say 'don't look at me.' He crouched down beside her and kissed her on the lips. "It was Maddie's idea," he informed her, then stood back up.

Haley looked at Maddie, who was grinning. She took the little girls hand and tugged her in, careful of the tray placed in front of her. She kissed Maddie on the neck. "I love it," she said.

Maddie giggled. "It's delicious!" she said. "I snuck a bite when Daddy wasn't looking," she confided, looking up at him.

He smiled down at her. "I figured when I saw a chunk missing," he said.

Haley suddenly realized that Maddie was already dressed. "You guys have had a busy morning," she said. "How come you're dressed already?" she asked.

"Because Uncle Lucas is taking me to the museum today!" she told Haley excitedly. "And I get to sit in the mouth!"

"The what?" Haley asked.

"There's a statue of an open mouth in there," he explained. "The teeth are all labeled, and it's big enough so that the kids can sit in it."

"Oh," Haley said, impressed. "That sounds like fun."

"Want to come with us?" Maddie asked.

"Maybe next time," Haley said, as the doorbell rang.

"There's Uncle Luke!" Maddie said excitedly, running for the door. Before she reached it, she turned around and ran back to Haley. "I just wanted to say thanks for a lovely time last night."

Haley had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Clearly Nathan had been coaching his daughter. She reached over and ruffled Maddie's hair. "You're welcome."

With a grin, Maddie turned back around and headed for the door again, where Nathan was talking to Lucas.

Haley finished her pancakes, then started to stand up to bring her tray and dishes into the kitchen. Nathan appeared at her side as she made it to her feet. She hadn't even heard the front door close. "Nope," he said, taking it from her and walking over to put it on one of the end tables. He returned to their makeshift bed, and as Nathan sat down, he pulled her under the covers with him. She was facing him, and he put his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. "So, I love the kid and all, but we need a night without her," he said.

Haley laughed. "Yeah, we do," she said hesitantly. "I just…" she sighed.

"You just what?" he asked, prompting her to continue.

She started chewing on her lower lip. After a little bit, she spoke. "If I'm alone with you, I'm not going to want to stop," she admitted.

He grinned knowingly. "Liked what you saw last night in Maddie's doorway, huh?" he teased.

She put her hands over her eyes. "Oh, God. You so caught me checking you out."

He laughed heartily and then moved her hands away from her eyes. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I get that all the time."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you do," she told him.

"But it's never made me feel the way it did last night when it was _you_," he said honestly.

She met his eyes and shook her head.

He leaned back and put his elbow on the pillow, propping his head on his hand, looking down at her. "What was that for?" he asked.

"The more I get to know you, the more I want you," she told him.

"I like _that_," he said.

"But I want _all_ of you," she explained. "I thought it would go away, but it hasn't."

"And that scares you," he stated.

She nodded. "Yeah," she said, swallowing nervously. "You did me such a favor when you stopped us when we were at my sister's house, and I just don't want that to have been for nothing."

Nathan took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Haley, one of my favorite things about you, is your morals. I would never ask you to compromise them," he assured her.

She laughed uneasily. "At this rate, you won't _have_ to."

He kissed her hand and shook his head. "I won't let you," he promised.

"But are you going to be OK with that?" she asked.

He grinned at her and pulled the blanket back. "Oh, there are _so_ many other things we can do," he told her. He slowly lifted her nighty up over her stomach, and leaned over to place a kiss just above her belly button. She felt his tongue stroke her skin, then he lifted his head, and blew softly where it was still damp, causing a cool sensation to wash over her warm skin. Breathing sharply, she closed her eyes and tipped her head back, longing for him to continue. After a minute, when he hadn't, she opened her eyes. He was smirking down at her. "And that's just one of them," he said, leaning down to capture her mouth in a fierce kiss.


	34. Chapter 34

Haley had just finished helping Nathan pack up the Christmas tree and put the living room back together, and was on her way back to the apartment. Nathan had to meet with his advisor that morning, and since it was the beginning of the semester, rescheduling wasn't an option, as the faculty was very busy. She was just turning onto her street when her cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number on the caller ID but answered anyway. "Hello?" she said, flipping it open.

"Hi. Is this Haley?" a male voice asked on the other end of the phone.

"It sure is," she said.

"Great. This is Mouth."

"Oh, hey Mouth!" Haley said to her newest roommate. "How are you?"

"I'm great," he told her. "I just wanted to make sure it was OK to start moving my things in tomorrow," he said.

"Of course it is," she assured him. "I just got my new textbooks and I haven't had a chance to look through them yet, so I'll be doing that tomorrow. I should be here all day. So whenever you want to show up is fine."

"Great. Thanks, Haley," he said.

They hung up and it was then that Haley started worrying. She'd been avoiding telling Brooke about their new roommate for no reason other than she was a coward. It looked like she was going to have to do it today. Maybe she'd butter her up with pizza and a movie tonight. Yeah, pizza and movie would definitely help.

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Nathan walked up the front steps of the house with his bag of new textbooks. Noticing Lucas' car in the driveway, he picked up his pace, anxious to see his daughter. He walked into the front door and dropped the bag on the counter, hurrying into the living room. Lucas was at the coffee table thumbing through a textbook with the girls nowhere in sight.

"Hey, Nate," Lucas said.

"Hey," Nathan said, taking off his coat and putting it on a hook by the door. "Where's Maddie?"

"Maddie and Laney are upstairs sleeping," Lucas informed his brother. "They ran around that place today like it was a marathon, so they were really tired when we got home. They crashed on my bed watching a movie."

"Oh," Nathan said, slightly disappointed.

"So, how was the date last night?" Lucas asked, grinning.

And then his disappointment vanished. "It was great," Nathan said, remembering his night with Haley. And even better, his morning. "I don't think it could've gone any better."

"So, you got her into bed, huh?" Lucas joked.

"Not quite." He sighed. "I see lots and lots of showers in my future," he told Lucas. "_Cold _showers."

"Oh, that's right. The whole 'no sex until marriage' thing," Lucas remembered.

Nathan sat down on one of the chairs and stretched his legs out in front of him. "That's right. Haley's waiting until she gets married. And I'm respecting that," he said.

"I wonder if I could do that," Lucas said thoughtfully.

Nathan shook his head. "You couldn't," he told his older brother.

"What does that mean?" Lucas asked, offended. "I'm not some kind of sex beast."

Nathan frowned in disgust at Lucas' choice of words. "That's not what I meant. All I'm saying is— you've already had Brooke. It wouldn't be possible to go without her now," he said.

"I bet I could," Lucas said defiantly.

Nathan's expression turned to one of amusement. "Really? And just what do you want to bet?"

"Fifty bucks for every week I go without it," Lucas said.

"Up to how many weeks?" Nathan asked, wanting to set the parameters now.

"I don't know," Lucas said with a shrug. "Ten?"

"That's five hundred bucks," Nathan said.

Lucas grinned. "I know."

"Are you sure you can afford that, big brother?" Nathan joked.

Lucas lifted an eyebrow and looked at him. "I think the question is, can _you?_"

Nathan grinned. This was going to be the easiest bet he'd ever won. And the most fun. "You're on ," he said as they shook on it. "Starting today," he said.

Lucas groaned. So much for his plans tonight.

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Nathan stayed at home with the girls that night so that Lucas could go out with Brooke. There were only a few more days until classes started up again, and they wanted to spend as much time together as possible until then. Brooke knew Lucas, and with his studying habits, they wouldn't be seeing each other nearly as much as they had been. As they were sitting there eating a late dinner, Brooke couldn't help but grin, thinking about what she was wearing underneath her clothes.

Lucas picked up his wine glass and looked at her. "What are you grinning at?" he asked, taking a sip.

"My new hot pink lacey bra and panties that I'm wearing," she told him, taking a bite of her salad.

Lucas choked on his wine.

"You OK?" Brooke asked with immediate concern.

He put his wine glass down and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said unconvincingly.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," he said a bit more sternly than he'd intended.

"Are you _looking_ for another fight?" she asked, not liking his tone with her.

Lucas sighed. "No."

She wiped her mouth on her napkin and then placed it on the table next to her plate. She then folded her hands in her lap. "Then you'd better start talking," she warned.

"I made a bet with Nathan," he mumbled.

"What was that?" she asked, not understanding him.

"I said I made a bet with Nathan," he said more clearly.

"OK. And what about this bet has you snapping at me?" she asked.

Lucas licked his lips uncertainly. "I bet him that I could _not_ have sex with you for ten weeks," he said.

"What?" Brooke asked in disbelief.

"I said—"

"Oh, I heard you," she snapped. She glared at him. "Are you kidding me?"

Lucas looked away. "It didn't seem as stupid then as it does now," he admitted, expecting the steam to come out of her ears any time now.

"Ya think?!"

"Brooke—"

"So, tell me something, Lucas. Does this bet come with a new fiancé?" she asked angrily.

"I think this could be good for us," Lucas said.

"Oh, please. Who are you kidding? You know you're in hot water and now you're grasping at straws," she said knowingly.

Lucas didn't say anything.

"I have to go," she said, standing up.

"But we haven't even seen the movie yet."

"And we're not going to," she said.

"Why not?" Lucas asked.

"Because I'm going to be too busy at home thinking about how stupid my boyfriend is! You're an even bigger idiot that Jake is!" She stood up and left Lucas sitting at the table.

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Haley was lying on her bed reading a book when she heard the front door fly open and then slam shut. "Haley!!!!!!!!!!" she heard Brooke bellow.

She immediately jumped up and ran into the living room. "You OK, Brooke?" she asked.

"No, I'm not OK!" Brooke told her friend.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong! When our boyfriends get together, they turn into complete idiots!" she yelled.

Haley bit her lip to keep from laughing. Brooke could be so melodramatic. "What did they do now?" she asked.

"Haley! Because of your boyfriend, I'm not having sex!"

"Did he cut of Lucas' penis?" Haley asked with mock seriousness.

Brooke ran a hand through her hair. "Lucas bet Nathan that he could go without sex," she said. "For **_ten _**weeks!"

"So then this probably wouldn't be a good time to tell you that our new roommate is a guy and he's moving in tomorrow then, huh?" Haley asked.

If looks could kill, Haley would be dead. And Brooke would be a homicidal maniac.

777

"You're home early," Nathan said to Lucas as he walked into the beach house.

Lucas took off his coat and put it on the hook by the door. "Yep," was all he said.

"What happened?"

Lucas sighed. "I finally know what it's like to be dumped because you won't put out," he said.

Nathan laughed. "So, it didn't go over well?" he asked.

"Like a lead balloon," he said. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers, then returned to the living room and gave one to Nathan, then sat down on the couch. "Maybe this no sex thing isn't for everyone," Lucas said.

Nathan grinned. "I could use an extra five hundred bucks," he teased, knowing Lucas wouldn't give up this easily.

Lucas gave him a dirty look. "I can do this for ten weeks," he said.

"I'm sure you can," Nathan agreed.

Lucas sighed. "I hope I'm not single when ten weeks is up," he said.

"I'm sure you won't be."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "You talk too much," he told Nathan.

Nathan just laughed at his brother. The fun was starting already.

The front door opened, and Jake walked in carrying Jenny. "Hey, Jake," Nathan said.

"Hey," he said quietly. He went up the stairs and put Jenny to bed, then came back down.

"How was the date?" he asked Nathan.

"It was great," Nathan said.

"Good," Jake said.

Lucas grunted.

Jake motioned towards Lucas. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"He bet me that he can go ten weeks without sex with Brooke."

Jake made a 'not a good idea' face. "Peyton and I did that, and then we ended up breaking up," he said.

Lucas' eyes flew to Jakes.

"But I'm sure that won't happen to you and Brooke," he said. "Luckily you're not as much of an idiot as I am," he said.

Lucas shook his head. "Not according to Brooke," he disagreed.


	35. Chapter 35

Lucas' phone beeped to indicate that he had a voicemail message, so he picked it up. He checked the caller ID and it was Brooke's own cell. He rolled his eyes. _Great, more drama,_ he thought. Though he really couldn't blame her. He was really kicking himself in the ass already for making this stupid bet. But he'd never say that out loud. He would play it cool until he won this thing. Hopefully.

_You have one new message. _Lucas entered his password and then heard Brooke's voice. "Hey, baby, it's me. I was just calling to let you know that I'm going to be busy all day tomorrow. _All day,_" her voice repeated. "Haley just told me that our new roommate is moving in, so I want to be here to help. OK. Love you—kind of." Lucas could hear the anger in her voice. It had diffused some, but it was still there. He was just about to click his phone shut when he heard her start talking again. "Oh, by the way, our new roommate is male. And Haley says he's super hot. Hmmm…maybe I'll have sex with _him_. We'll see. Bye, Baby." He heard her phone disconnect, then pulled his away from his ear and looked at it in disbelief.

"What's up, buddy?" Nathan asked, yawning.

Lucas cleared his throat. "Brooke and Haley's new roommate is moving in tomorrow."

"Oh, good," Nathan said. "Haley's been worried that she won't be able to afford half of the rent. Now she won't have to."

"Yeah, well, you're about to regret that 'oh, good,'" Lucas told him.

"Why's that?" Nathan asked his eyes back on the television.

"Their new roommate— is a guy. And apparently, according to _Haley_, he's 'superhot,'" Lucas said.

Suddenly Nathan was wide awake and shot to the edge of his seat on the couch. "What?" he asked.

Lucas sighed and then stood up. "I've got to go over there," he said.

"Not without me," Nathan said standing up. He looked at Jake, who hadn't said a word during the entire conversation. "Can you watch the girls?" he asked. They were in bed for the night, so Nathan knew he wouldn't mind.

"Yeah," Jake said. "I can watch 'em. But it's really going to suck missing this!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "We'll be back in a little while."

Jake grinned and sat back on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Oh, take your time," he said knowingly.

777

Haley was in the bathtub with bubbles up to her chin, and Brooke was sitting on the bathroom floor against the wall on a dry towel, thumbing through a magazine, but not really reading it. "I miss Peyton," she sighed.

Haley smiled sadly at her friend. "Me, too," she agreed.

Brooke snapped her magazine shut and threw it on the floor next to her and crossed her arms. "And do you know what the worst part is?" she asked.

"What?" Haley asked, closing her eyes and resting her head against the back of the bathtub.

Brooke sighed. "I can't even be mad at _Jake_ anymore. Did you see his face yesterday when he found out we'd seen Peyton?"

Haley nodded. She remembered the look on his face in detail.

"He looked…" Brooke searched for the right word.

"Distraught," Haley supplied.

"He really did, didn't he?" She sighed again. "For the first time, I'm trying to see if I can understand what Jake's going through. I don't know why he broke up with her, Haley, but it's clear to me now that it wasn't because he didn't love her."

Haley nodded. "I know," she agreed.

"But, then, why? If he was so crazy about her, then why would he break up with her?"

"I don't know," Haley said shrugging her shoulders in the bath.

Brooke jumped as she heard the sound of something breaking in the living room. Haley sat up in the bath, still cloaked in the bubbles. "What the hell was that?" she whispered.

"Did you give Marvin a key yet?" Brooke whispered back.

Haley shook her head no, fear in her eyes.

"Haley, I'm scared," Brooke said quietly.

Haley nodded in agreement then swallowed past the lump of fright in her throat. She put a finger to her lips, indicating to Brooke to be silent.

They heard footsteps in the hallway, and as they got closer, both of their eyes grew in alarm.

Finally, Brooke couldn't take it anymore. She jumped up in her tiny pink pajama shorts and white cami, and headed for Haley.

Haley looked at Brooke. "Brooke, what are you—"

Before Haley could finish the sentence, Brooke jumped into the tub with her and grabbed onto her for dear life.

All of a sudden the bathroom door flew open and both girls screamed at the top of their lungs.

"What the hell?" Nathan said.

"Oh, see, and now I'm so mad, I can't even be turned on by this," Lucas said, motioning toward the girls in the tub.

"Holy crumpets, Lucas!" Brooke said, breathing heavily. "How in the hell did you guys get in here?"

Luke shrugged. "We borrowed the key that Peyton gave to Jake," he said.

"We want it back!" Haley snapped. That key was more trouble than it was worth. She was going to destroy the damn thing.

Brooke got up on her knees in the tub and ran her hands through her wet hair, trying to straighten it out.

Nathan looked her up and down. "Nice bod, Brooke."

Lucas gave Nathan a look of disbelief and then when he looked at Brooke, his eyes widened. His girlfriend was, in fact, very much on display. Her thin top left _nothing _to the imagination. Lucas stepped closer to Nathan and put a hand over his eyes while Brooke moved her hands to cover her chest. Haley laughed as Brooke climbed out of the tub. "It's not funny," Brooke said sending Haley a dirty look.

Haley still laughed. "It is _kind _of funny," she insisted.

Brooke grabbed the towel she had been sitting on when she was on the floor and wrapped it around herself. Lucas removed his hand from his brother's eyes as Brooke was marching over to them, leaving a trail of bubbles and water behind her as she went. She slapped Nathan lightly on the back of the head, but Lucas didn't get that luxury. She really packed some power behind the slap she gave him. He rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell is wrong with you two?" she demanded.

"Brooke, we really don't have time to delve into all of _that_," Haley joked from the tub.

"Shut up, Haley!" she snapped, not even glancing at her. Her eyes were fixed on Nathan and Lucas.

She crossed her arms and stood there waiting. "Are you _going _to answer my question?" she asked.

Luke cleared his throat. "I'm having a hard time concentrating with you in that towel and Haley naked just a few feet away," he explained.

"Ugh…" Brooke said angrily, stomping past Lucas to her bedroom. He followed her to her room, but she slammed the door in his face. Sighing, he went into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Haley, get dressed," Nathan ordered.

"Excuse me?" she asked annoyed.

"Well, we need to talk," Nathan said in a totally different tone, sensing that he was in trouble now.

Haley sighed. "Oh, you've got that right, buddy. Get out so I can get dressed," she told him.

Nathan left and Haley got out of the tub, dried off, and then went to her room to get dressed. When she walked into the living room, Brooke was already there pacing, and the guys were sitting on the couch, shifting nervously every so often.

"What's going on?" she asked, tying the belt on her robe as she entered the room.

Nathan took one look at her and had all he could do not to groan. She'd never looked so sexy. Her silky robe ended well above her knees, and her hair was still damp from the bath, her wet tresses tumbling down over her shoulders. And to top all of it off, her robe was white. Pure white. It only served to remind him of Haley's innocence. Suddenly, he was even more uncomfortable.

"Why did you guys break into our apartment?" Brooke asked.

"Break in?" Lucas repeated.

"Whatever. Why did you come in unannounced? You scared us to death! _I _nearly had a heart attack."

Haley grinned and nodded. "Yeah, and she nearly groped me to death in the tub," she joked. Haley was able to see the humor in the situation even if Brooke wasn't. Nathan's tone earlier had irritated her, but other than that, she thought this whole state of affairs was quite comical.

She looked at Nathan, who was unsuccessfully trying to conceal his grin. _God, he's adorable,_ she thought. Memories of him standing in Maddie's bedroom doorway last night came flooding back to her mind, and she couldn't help but remember how sexy he had looked. She could feel her cheeks pinkening at the thought. She looked up, and Nathan was grinning at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. She nervously toyed with the belt on her robe and hastily looked away.

Meanwhile, Brooke was still pacing in front of the couch. "I'm not getting any younger!" she bit out.

"Oh, no, we are _not _doing this! Nate, get up!" he commanded, standing up himself. Nathan looked confused, as if he didn't know what to do, so he followed his brother's lead.

"Brooke! Sit down!" he ordered, his voice raised.

Without a word, Brooke plopped down onto the couch, her eyes wide. She'd never seen Lucas like this before. It was kind of shocking her. And dammitt, it was kind of turning her on, too. She shuffled uncomfortably.

"Haley!" Lucas said, looking at her, motioning her toward the couch. Haley practically flew over and sat down next to Brooke. She tugged on her robe, which was even shorter when she was sitting. She looked up and met Nathan's amused gaze, then gently placed her hands in her lap, lacing them together. She refused to fidget under his stare. She and Brooke sat there expectantly.

"Yes?" Brooke prompted him.

"I haven't thought this far ahead yet," Lucas admitted, sheepishly.

"Well, I have," Nathan said. "A _male_ roommate?"

"And a super hot one?" Lucas said, finding his thoughts.

Haley's eyes flew to Brooke's face. She had never said hot. She'd said that he was _adorable_. "Wait—what's going on?" she asked.

Lucas motioned to Brooke. "She told me that you got a new roommate and that he was super hot."

Haley laughed. "We did get a new roommate," she confirmed. "But I never said he was super hot." Both guys breathed a sigh of relief at this. "However, he is absolutely adorable," she said.

Nathan sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Tell you what? You knew I was getting a new roommate," she said.

"But I didn't know it was a guy," he said bitterly.

"What different does it make?" Haley asked. "Either way I wouldn't have asked for your permission."

"He had better stay away from you, Brooke!" Lucas said.

"Or what? What are you gonna do? Pee on me to mark your territory, Lucas?" she asked sarcastically.

"I did _not_ ask you to speak," he shouted.

Brooke took a deep breath and sat back. She felt like she was going to explode with need right now. Never had Lucas been so dominant with her. She almost couldn't get enough of it. She looked up at Lucas and saw the humor behind the mock anger in his eyes. She had all she could do to keep her jaw in place. He knew. He knew _exactly _the kind of effect he was having on her right now. Jerk.

Finally Brooke cleared her throat and her eyes met Nathan's. "Lucas and I can't have sex, right?" she asked.

"Brooke!" Lucas said.

Her eyes flew to his. "I just want to understand the restrictions of this bet." She looked back at Nathan. "That just means…intercourse, right?" she asked.

Nathan shifted uncomfortably. "Yes," he said carefully. He looked so uncomfortable, that Haley was trying from her spot on the couch not to dissolve into a fit of hilarity.

"So, anything else is allowable?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Nathan said again.

She stood up. "You guys might want to go for a ride then," she said, grabbing Lucas' hand and pulling him to her bedroom.

As Brooke shut the door behind them, they could hear Haley and Nathan laughing hysterically, but she didn't care. She pulled her shirt off over her head.

"Brooke, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to let you…polish me off," she informed him.

He grinned lazily. "And then you'll finish me off?" he said huskily.

She looked him up and down and then shook her head. "Oh, no. _I _am not touching _you_ for the next ten weeks. These next ten weeks, belong to _me._"


	36. Chapter 36

_Warning—this chapter contains some mature content_

Lucas took a deep breath as he heard his cell phone start to ring. He'd given Brooke her own ring tone last night so he'd have a few seconds to collect himself before he answered each time she called. Nathan cracked up laughing as the sounds of Warrant's Cherry Pie filled the air. Lucas cleared his throat and picked up his phone. "It's Brooke," he said.

"I kinda figured," Nathan said, still laughing.

Lucas flipped his phone open and put it to his ear. "Hey, Pretty Girl."

"Hey, Broody, what'cha doin'?" she asked cheerfully.

"Oh, you know, just hanging out with Nathan," he told her.

"Yeah, well, here's a tip, _Stalky_. If you guys want to _spy_ on Haley and me, then don't use your uncle slash step-dad's bright red tow-truck to do it. What are you doing outside our building?" she demanded.

Lucas cleared his throat. "Oh, you know, just hanging out with Nathan," he repeated, looking up at the apartment window. He saw the curtain fall back into place. "Brooke, I—"

"Lucas, I'm rolling my eyes. Just come up and meet our new roommate. I think you're going to be surprised," she told him, hanging up the phone.

"What'd she say?" Nathan asked.

"We're busted," Lucas said.

"Shit! She knows we're here?" Nathan asked.

"Daddy, don't say shit!" Maddie scolded.

"Sorry, Mads," he said over his shoulder.

"She said we should come up," Lucas told his brother.

Nathan shrugged. "OK," he said.

Lucas sighed. "I really don't like the idea of a male roommate living with them, Nate. I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable leaving Laney there."

"Brooke will watch out for her," Nathan said.

"Oh, really?" Lucas said dryly. "And would you leave Maddie there?" he asked.

"Oh, hell, no!" Nathan exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Lucas said knowingly, putting the extended cab tow-truck into reverse and backing into Haley's and Brooke's driveway to park. The guys got out and grabbed their daughters from the backseat, and then headed for the girls apartment. When they got to the door, Lucas knocked and they stood there waiting. Finally, Brooke opened the door. She immediately grinned when she saw Laney, and lifted her up into her arms. "Hey, Blue," she said, kissing her exaggeratedly on the cheek until she laughed. Then she lifted her eyes to Lucas'. "Do you see how much better this works when you knock versus when you break in?" she asked pointedly.

"Ha-ha," Lucas said, leaning down to give her a kiss.

Brooke stepped back so that they could all enter the apartment. Nathan looked around, Maddie in his arms. "Where's Haley?" he asked.

"She's in our new roommate's room," Brooke told him.

Nathan looked down the hallway and none of the doors were open. "With the door closed?" he asked in disbelief.

"Oh, probably," Brooke said. "You know what a…"she suddenly remembered the little ears in the room. "Well, you know how Haley is," she teased.

Nathan heard her laughing from down the hallway and dammitt, it sounded flirty! His eyes narrowed and he stalked down the hallway still holding Maddie. When he got to Peyton's old bedroom door, he stopped and knocked louder than was necessary.

"Come in," he heard Haley call.

Nathan pushed to door open none to gently and it opened to reveal Haley sitting on a queen sized bed with a dark and light blue striped comforter. "Hey, handsome," she said to him, grinning. "Hey, munchkin," she said to Maddie.

"Where is he?" Nathan asked.

Just then, a male figure stepped out of the walk-in closet. He grinned when he saw Nathan. "Hey, Nate!"

Nathan sighed in relief and then laughed. "How the heck are ya, Mouth McFadden?" he asked.

"No complaints," he replied. "And you?"

"Better than ever," Nathan told him, and it was the truth. Nathan hadn't felt this good in a long time. He was so relieved to see that Haley's new roommate was a friend of his from high school. "Let's go say hi to Lucas," he said, leading the way into the living room. As they walked out, Nate said, "hey, Luke, look what the cat dragged in."

Luke spun around, and then grinned from ear to ear. "Mouth McFadden. How are you?" he asked.

Mouth grinned. "I'm doing well," he said. "Got myself some new roommates. Aren't they hot?" he asked.

"They sure are," Lucas agreed.

Brooke leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "See, Broody? You don't have anything to worry about. Oh, and the next time you want to _spy_ on me, don't bring our kid with you to do it," she told him.

777

The semester began, and everyone fell into their own routines. Unfortunately, they all had heavy loads and between daughters, cheerleading, and basketball, it was hard to coordinate their schedules to spend any time together. This was great for Lucas, who was four weeks closer to winning his bet with Nathan. Not so great for Brooke, who desperately wanted some alone time with her boyfriend. Haley was in her bedroom studying one night when her door was thrown open and Brooke barged in. She immediately started pacing.

"It has been a month, Haley. One month!"

Haley looked up, barely listening to Brooke. "One month since what?" she asked uninterestedly.

Brooke sighed. "Since I've had Lucas' extremely capable manly parts inside of me! And I am going crazy!" she exclaimed.

"Brooke—it's just sex," Haley said amused.

"Says the girl who's never had it!" Brooke snapped. Then she fell dramatically on Haley's bed. "I'm sorry, tutor girl. I don't mean to be a bitch. It's just…that I'm so horny," she explained.

Haley slammed the textbook she was reading shut and cleared her throat. "Well, there," she said. "Thanks for sharing."

Brooke sighed. "Haley, what am I going to do?" she whined.

"Here's an idea. Go and study to take your mind off it," she suggested.

"I can't…concentrate, Haley. Not on anything. Except for the fact that I'm not having sex."

Haley laughed. It always came back to that. "OK, well, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but…maybe a good Brooke-ing is in order," she told her friend.

Brooke looked at her in disbelief. "What? You don't think I've already tried that? It didn't work!"

"It didn't?" Haley asked.

"Well, it _did_ work," Brooke told her. "But it's not the same."

Haley laughed at that, and then looked at her clock. "Brooke, I hate to bail on you, but I have a huge test tomorrow and…I have to ace it. I only have few more hours to study so…go!" she told her friend.

"Haley!" Brooke whined.

They heard a key in the front door, then the sound of it opening and closing. "Oh, Mouth is home!" Brooke said excitedly, bouncing off the bed and heading for Haley's bedroom door. "He'll listen to me," she said smugly.

As Brooke left, Haley just rolled her eyes and laughed. Thank God for Mouth.

777

Lucas had just left class and was walking down the hallway looking at the syllabus in his hand, so it caught him completely off guard when someone grabbed him and pulled him into the janitor's closet, slamming the door shut behind them. "Brooke," he said, surprised. Before he could get another word out, her mouth came hungrily up to his. His backpack fell to the floor, forgotten, and both of his hands came up to rest on her cheeks. He walked slowly forward until Brooke was against the wall, and then he pressed one of his legs between hers until she had no choice but to spread them. He moved in to stand between her thighs. His mouth left hers and moved to concentrate on her neck. He could hear her breathing heavily and she moved her head to the side to allow him better access. "Are you wearing panties?" he asked between gasps.

He felt her nod her head yes.

"What color?" he asked.

He heard her moan.

"What color?" he repeated when she didn't answer fast enough.

"Black," she whispered.

"Lace?" he asked.

He felt her nod again, and then her hands came up under his shirt to softly stroke the stiff muscles in his back. As Lucas' hand went to the hem of her shirt to pull it up, she pushed him away. He looked at her, puzzled. He watched as she reached down and lifted her skirt. She brought both hands to her left thigh, then tore at the seam on that side of her panties. He stood there, mesmerized by the sight before him. She reached over to the other side and did the same, then pulled them away from her body and pushed them into his hand.

"So that you don't forget what you're missing," she said straightening her skirt and then heading for the door.

But Lucas was too fast for her. He shoved her panties in his pocket, and then grabbed her arm before she could leave. She looked up at him questioningly as he lifted her up by her upper arms and placed her on the small counter. He reached for her knees and then pushed them apart. His hand went straight to her center, and when he heard her sharp intake of breath, he knew he'd found what he was looking for. She reached her hands up to his shoulders and squeezed them, anxious for him to continue. As his thumb began to move rhythmically over the sensitive spot, she wiggled her hips trying to get closer to him. When he finally heard her moan, he pulled away. He grabbed her hair and tipped her head back, then plunged his tongue into her mouth for one last kiss. "So that you don't, either," he said with a triumphant gleam in his eyes, then left her sitting there unsatisfied.

_Well, __**that **__certainly__ didn't go as planned, _Brooke thought, still unable to catch her breath—and fully aroused.

777

_Fuck_, Lucas thought, walking out of the building. He could still smell her. He gave a deep sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was going to be a long six weeks.


	37. Chapter 37

"So, Brooke," Jake said, catching up to her in the hallway a week later. "If I do an internet search do you think I'll be able to find Peyton?" he asked her. Brooke shook her head no. "So, do you know of any way that I _could_ find her?" he asked.

Brooke stopped short in the hallway and turned around to face him. She knew that Jake was hurting, too, and she was fairly certain that despite the fact that he'd broken her best friends' heart he still loved her, but it wasn't enough to erase the fact that he'd driven her away. "Why, Jake?" she asked, throwing her hands in the air. "You broke up with her. What could you possible want with her?"

He swallowed nervously. "Jenny misses her," he told Brooke.

Brooke gave him a dirty look. "Well then I'll set something up for them to see each other," she told him, continuing down the hallway, picking up her pace. It didn't deter him. He caught up with her again and put his hand on her arm. "_I _miss her, Brooke," he told her. "Can you tell her I miss her?" he asked.

Brooke stopped again and shook her head. "No," she said softly. "When Peyton calls, I only get to talk to her for five minutes at a time before she makes some stupid excuse to hang up. But do you know what I think?" she asked.

Jake shook his head.

Brooke's eyes filled with tears. "I think that anything having to do with Tree Hill reminds Peyton of you. And that she can only take thinking of you in small doses before she breaks down into tears. I think that she doesn't want to cry in front of me," she said, getting angrier by the second. Brooke knew she was being hard on him, and she knew it wasn't entirely his fault. She was pretty positive that part of her anger was coming from the fact that Lucas still hadn't put out. When he'd first made this bet, she was sure he wasn't going to be able to hold himself to it, but her fiancé had stayed strong.

"Listen, Brooke, I'm sorry."

Brooke spun around, her fury rising yet again. "You know what? So am I. Because it was _my_ stupid idea to transfer here! If I hadn't suggested it, Peyton and I could still be in Los Angeles together. She never would have dated you and her heart wouldn't be in a bazillion pieces right now!"

"Is she in L.A.?" Jake asked urgently.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jake, she went to L.A.," she said sarcastically. "No, she didn't go to L.A., you idiot. She left to get away from _you_, and that would be the first place you'd look. She's not stupid!" Brooke spat, starting to walk away again.

"Brooke?" he said softly. She wanted to keep going, but there was such desperation in his voice that she couldn't. Instead, she rolled her eyes and then turned around. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you guys transferred here. Otherwise, you wouldn't have met Haley, and Nathan wouldn't have, either. And Lucas wouldn't be the happiest I've ever seen him. And Jenny wouldn't know what it's like to be loved by Peyton Sawyer. Neither would I."

He smiled weakly and walked away. Brooke took a deep breath. "Jake!" she said.

He turned around and she walked up to him, placing a hand gently on his arm. "I can't tell you where she is," Brooke told him, her voice full of regret. "I wish I could, but I made a promise." She took another deep breath. "Give her time. Tree Hill is her home. And she loves it here. She'll be back," Brooke assured him. "Besides, Jenny's here. She'll try, but she won't be able to stay away."

Jake rubbed one of his temples. "Did she tell you that?" he asked.

Brooke shook her head. "No. But I know her. Trust me, she can't stay away."

Jake nodded, his eyes filled with remorse. "Thanks, Brooke," he said.

She smiled softly.

"But in the meantime, I'm going to be looking for her," he said.

"It's about time, Hot Jake."

Jake grinned. "Oh, so I'm _Hot_ Jake again, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, when you're loving Peyton, it's hard to be mad at you," she told him.

"And here I thought it was because you weren't getting any."

Brooke gasped and whacked him on the arm. "Not funny, Jagielski!"

777

"Five weeks today, Haley!" Brooke complained as she walked into the apartment, dropping her bag by the door and taking off her coat.

Haley groaned. "I know, Brooke! And yesterday was 34 days. Yes, you told me. Ten times yesterday."

"Only ten?" Brooke said.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I can't take this." She jumped up and went to her room. When Brooke walked in a few minutes behind her, her feet were dressed and she was throwing stuff into her bag.

"Where are you going?" Brooke whined.

Haley looked over her shoulder. "I'm going to Nathan's to study," she told her friend. "I can't take this…play-by-play of your abstinence anymore!"

"Haley!"

"Mouth should be home soon," she told Brooke.

"Oh, goodie!" Brooke said.

Haley stopped in front of her on the way out of her bedroom. "You know what's pathetic?" she asked.

"What?"

"That I have to go to my boyfriend's house to concentrate on studying! It's easier to study with Nathan loving me all up than it is listening to you complain about not getting any!"

Brooke grinned slyly. "Maybe he's not doing it right," she teased.

"Oh, no! He's doing it right," Haley assured her. "He does this thing with his tongue where—"

"Making me horny, Haley!" Brooke warned her.

Haley took off down the hall. "Leaving, Brooke!" she said, grabbing her keys on the way out the door.

777

"Honestly, Nathan, you have _got _to call off this bet," she told him. They'd just put Maddie down for the night and were in his room on his bed studying.

He grinned at her. "Why would I want to do that?" he asked.

"Because Brooke won't shut up and I can hardly concentrate when she's around!" she told him.

"Yes," he said, kissing her neck. "But on the upside, I've seen you more in the last week that I have all semester until now."

Haley laughed. "Yes, well, we're all busy," she told him, trying to push him away. "Nathan. I really need to study," she told him firmly.

He bowed his head and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine!" he teased, moving away from her and settling himself so he was sitting up against the headboard. He picked up his own textbook and opened it to his marked page.

A few minutes later, Haley looked over at him, and he was concentrating attentively on whatever it was he was reading. She wondered if he knew how sexy he looked when he was intent like that. She doubted it. She slammed her book shut and threw it on the floor. Well, OK, gently placed, but somehow threw sounded so much better to her. "What are you doing?" Nathan asked, looking up.

Instead of answering, she smiled at him and grabbed his book, snapping it shut. His, she threw on the floor. "What was that for?" he asked with a smile on his face.

She crawled over to him, and climbed on his lap so she was straddling him. "I want to be naughty," she said, grinning.

He grinned back. "Oooh, and I want you to be," he told her.

Haley brought her mouth down to his, and he opened instantly. She moved her tongue against his, and he put his hands under her shirt, bringing them slowly up her back. He brought them back down, and brought them around to her stomach, caressing her with feather light strokes. He grinned when he could feel her start to shiver beneath his touch.

"Daddy?"

Nathan pushed Haley off him so fast, she lost her breath and had to grab onto the comforter to keep from falling off the bed. Nathan grabbed her arm to catch her and try to steady her, but his eyes were on Maddie.

"Hey, Mads. Couldn't sleep?" he asked, trying to even his breathing.

Haley was trying not to laugh at Nathan as he was struggling to maintain an innocent look on his face. It was priceless.

"Haley?" Maddie asked her eyes narrowing. "What were you doing to Daddy?"

Haley giggled nervously. "I was just…checking your daddy for cavities," she explained.

"Does he have any?" she asked, running toward the bed in her pink ankle length nighty, teddy bear in hand.

"Nope, everything looks good," Haley assured her.

"Let me see!" she said, jumping up onto the bed and towards Nathan. He caught her before she landed in an uncomfortable spot on his lap. "Open up, Daddy!" she commanded.

Nathan opened wide and Maddie got as close as she could to his mouth, examining it for several seconds. "Nope! Not even one!" she confirmed. "Good boy, Daddy!"

"Thanks, Mads," he said, kissing her on her cheek. "Were you having trouble sleeping?" he asked his daughter.

She shook her head. "No, Daddy, I'm just thirsty," she told him.

"OK, well, let's go get you a drink," he said, moving to the end of the bed to stand up with Maddie in his arms. As they walked out of the room, Nathan could hear Haley bursting into laughter. He threw a scolding look over his shoulder and she stuck her tongue out at him. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and continued out of the room.

Sighing in resignation, Haley leaned over and picked her textbook up, opening it to the page she'd been previously reading. She looked up a minute later when she felt someone staring at her. "Brooke! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I got lonely!" she whined. "And bored!"

"Where's Mouth?" Haley asked.

"I called him and he has this thing with the Audiovisual Club tonight," she complained.

"Well, what is Lucas doing?" Haley asked.

"He's studying," she said, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to Haley. As soon as she did, Nathan walked in.

"Get out," he told Brooke, using his thumb to point to the bedroom door.

Brooke sighed and got up as Nathan walked over to the bed and resumed his spot next to Haley.

Brooke turned around in the doorway. "Fine! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check Lucas for cavities," she said smugly.

Haley started laughing.

"Oh, hey, Brooke?" Nathan said.

"Yeah?"

"I saw the janitor the other day," Nathan said, and Haley watched as her roommates cheeks turned pink. "I asked him what he was doing over spring break, but he said something about not being able to…get it off," he said knowingly.

Brooke's eyes widened and she gasped. "Lucas!" she screamed, sprinting from the room.

Nathan turned to Haley. "Checking for cavities?" he said in amusement.

Haley covered her face in her hands. "I know!" she said. "It was so lame. But what did you want me to say?"

Nathan laughed. "It was good enough," he said. "Now, where were we?" he asked, moving toward her. But she jumped up off the bed and stood up.

"Oh, it's OK. I can go home to study now because Brooke is _here," _Haley said, leaning down and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. She turned to walk away, and Nathan rolled over onto his stomach and made a grab for her, but he couldn't reach her. He put his face in the blankets and groaned. When he picked his head back up, Haley was crouching down by the bed so they were at eye level. "Tomorrow night, after the game. You and me. Alone," Haley said. "Your mom and dad have Maddie tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," he said, rolling over onto his back. She stood up and then leaned over him, bringing her mouth close to his. "Wait—" she said, just as her lips were about to join with his. "Did you floss?" she asked laughing, but it turned into a squeal when Nathan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down on top of him.

"Find out for yourself," he told her, lifting his head to hers for one last kiss.


	38. Chapter 38

_Author's Note: Ok, so I thought I'd kick Chapter 38 off with a confession. Originally, when I thought of this story, it was going __to be__ Nathan and Haley. However, I have found that the __more I write__Brooke and Lucas—they are just way too fun to keep in the background. So they've sort of moved to the front burner, next to Nathan and Haley. __And sometimes, they have a tendency to boil over. __Anyway, end of confession. I __also __just want to say thanks __again __so much for all of your wonderful reviews and taking the time to read my story! _

"But Haley_, five weeks_ and _one day_?!" Brooke exclaimed as she was stretched out on the couch with her feet in Mouth's lap.

"Brooke, when you yell, your whole body moves and I mess up your toenails," he told her.

"Sorry," she said, although he could tell it was just to pacify him. She immediately turned back to Haley."I am horny as hell!"

Mouth was so surprised at her admission that he accidentally kept the stroke on her big toe going and painted right on through to the tip of her toe. She threw him a dirty look. "Mouth! Watch what you're doing!" she told him.

"Sorry," he said, blushing.

"I need to have some sex!" Brooke continued.

Haley, who was sitting on the floor at the coffee table trying to study, dropped her head on it. "Brooke," she said, close to a whine, "I _cannot _do this! We have a game tonight, I have a date with Nathan after, and then a test on Monday!"

"But Haley!" Brooke whined.

"Oh, for God's sake, Brooke, _I'm_ almost ready to have sex with you!" she snapped.

"Yeah, well I'm almost ready to let you!" Brooke said, sighing irritably.

Haley stood up. "Where are you going?" Brooke asked.

"To the library," Haley told her, heading for her bedroom.

Brooke pulled her feet from Mouth's lap, and jumped up hobbling after Haley with the cotton balls that Mouth had placed there still between her toes. "Haley, I'm sorry," Brooke said.

"So am I!" Haley said. "Because of this stupid bet, my grades are the lowest they've ever been! You make it impossible for me to do anything except listen to you!" she said in frustration.

"Haley—"

"I have to go!" Haley said, throwing her bag over her shoulder and leaving.

Beyond frustrated, Brooke went into the bathroom and put one of her feet up on the toilet seat, blow drying the nails. When that was done, she did the same to the other. After removing the cotton from her toes, she went into her bedroom and flopped down on the bed, deviously plotting her next course of action. Lucas was going down.

777

"Brooke!" Lucas yelled, walking into the dark gymnasium. He stopped just inside the doors. "Brooke!" he yelled again, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness.

Suddenly, the lights snapped on, and Lucas had to once again adjust his eyes. He put a hand up to block out the light. When they finally readjusted, he pulled it away and saw Brooke standing at center court, her pom-poms in front of her. He looked around for the rest of the squad.

"Brooke, I thought you needed me to move something for you," he told her, puzzled.

"I do, Lucas," she said softly, seductively.

"What do you need moved?"

"You," she said, tilting her head to the right. "I need you moving inside of me. Lucas—enough is enough," she told him, pulling her pom-poms away from her body, revealing the skimpiest pair of panties he'd ever seen. He took in the rest of her—bare skin and bright red toe nail polish.

He swallowed, suddenly overheated and unable to breathe. He tugged at the neck of his shirt. "Brooke—" he said, hoarsely.

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. That innocent look was nearly Lucas' undoing. As she started walking towards him, he swallowed past the lump of desire in his throat and took a step back. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her chest, swaying just a little with each deliberate step she took towards him. He tried to shake his head to ward her off, but it was no use. He was frozen in place. Suddenly, she was standing in front of him, and he had to look down at her. "What are you doing?" he whispered huskily.

She grinned up at him. _Pure temptation,_ he thought. "I'm combining your two favorite things," she informed him, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. "Center court…and sex," she told him. He looked down as it fell to the floor, and she put her hand beneath his chin, adjusting his face so he was looking at her and not the jacket.

"Brooke—" he took a deep breath as he she put her hand up underneath his t-shirt and ran her fingernails lightly down his belly. He could only watch as she unbuttoned and then unzipped his jeans. Just as she was moving her hand down into the waistband of his boxers, he grabbed her upper arms. He heard her gasp in surprise, and when she looked up at him, raw hunger in her eyes—he knew it was over. He lifted the hem of his t-shirt and clumsily pulled it off over his head, chucking it. He didn't know where it landed, and he didn't care. All he could think about as he pulled Brooke to him was skin on skin. He pulled her in so close he crushed her chest against his. When he felt her nipples harden, he groaned, then tightened his grip around her waist and cupped the back of her head to hold her in place. His tongue forced its way hastily into her mouth, and he felt her nails digging into his shoulders, telling him she liked it. He pulled away from her, and then gently but swiftly pushed her down onto the floor, covering her body with his own.

"Why not the black lace?" he asked hurriedly in between kisses, removing her lavender silk panties in one swift pull. Instead of tossing them, he put them in his jeans pocket. _Another pair of panties gone to hell_, Brooke thought.

"Because you have them," she reminded him.

"Don't let me forget to get us another pair," he said.

"Us?" she questioned breathily.

She felt his grin against her shoulder, where he was kissing her. "They're just as much fun for me as they are for you," he told her, running a thumb over each of her nipples.

She laughed and then, pushing him away, sat up. He looked at her puzzled, and then groaned, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Not again!" he protested, thinking he'd been had.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "No, definitely not again," she said, moving to her knees and bringing him with her. "Never again!" She pushed his jeans and boxers down past his thighs in one move, and then pushed him down onto his back. She grinned wickedly at him and threw one of her legs over his waist, straddling him. "Lucas—I have been waiting for this for _five _weeks. I want to make sure it's perfect! _I _get to be on top."

He reached down to push his jeans the rest of the way off. "No, Lucas! There's no time for that!" Brooke said, almost in a panic. He stiffened at her reaction, surprised by the intensity of it. Clearly he'd underestimated his fiancé. He relaxed again and then grinned up at her, meeting her eyes. She looked down into his face as he gripped her thighs. He could already feel her quivering as he slowly pulled her down onto him.

And just like that—Lucas Scott was out two hundred and fifty bucks.

777

Nathan and Maddie sat down for a late lunch, and then Nathan's mom came to pick her up for the night. The guys had a game and then he had his 'alone' date with Haley tonight. He grinned just thinking about it. He couldn't wait to be alone with her. He made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom, dropping his school bag by the door. He walked over to his bed and was just about to sit down to take his sneakers off when something on his pillow caught his eye. He looked closer and saw five crisp fifty dollar bills sitting there. He grinned, picking up the money. It was the easiest two hundred and fifty dollars he'd ever made.

777

"Go, Lucas!" Brooke yelled as he shot another three pointer. Nothing but net.

"What is going on with him tonight?" Haley heard Lexi, one of the girls on their squad ask.

The girl standing next to her grinned knowingly. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. The boy got laid. And not just any kind of laid. That is definitely the 'haven't had it in nearly a month but now I've had it and I'm on fire' kind of laid," she said.

Haley's eyes flew to Brooke's as she shook her pom-poms, but Brooke didn't look at her. It appeared that she hadn't even heard the other girls' conversation. _Thank goodness_, Haley thought. _All I need is for her to start in again on how she's not getting any! _Haley had spent the entire afternoon at the library studying. She'd even brought her cheerleading uniform with her so she wouldn't have to see Brooke until the game tonight. She felt a little guilty about avoiding her friend, but really, there was only so much she could take.

777

Haley had driven home after the game to shower and get ready for her date with Nathan. Luckily, Brooke was nowhere to be found. As Haley, was putting the finishing touches on her make-up, she heard the doorbell ring. Reaching down for her earrings, she quickly put one in each ear on her way to the door. She put a smile on her face then opened it. Nathan was standing on the other side of it, hands in his pockets, wearing a gray dress shirt with a salmon colored tie, and a pair of charcoal colored dress pants.

Haley stood there for a minute staring at his chest, and Nathan suddenly shuffled his feet. "Hales?" he asked apprehensively. "Is everything OK?" he asked.

Haley looked up at his face, noting the concern in his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him.

"What were you thinking just then?" he asked.

Haley laughed. "Honestly?"

He nodded.

"I was thinking that—pink is _hot_," she told him.

He looked down at his tie and picked it up in one of his hands. "It's not _pink_," he said, defending himself. "It's called salmon."

She giggled. "And there's a difference?" she asked.

"Yes," he said firmly.

"And that would be…" she prompted him.

She watched him as his lips start to twitch. "One syllable."

Haley laughed and grabbing his tie, pulled him closer. "Well, I like your two-syllabled tie," she told him.

He grinned down at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Thanks," he said, leaning down to give her a light kiss.

She pulled away. "So, where are we off to?" she asked.

Nathan grinned at her. "It's a surprise," he told her.

"Really?" she said. "I don't like surprises."

"You'll love this one," he promised.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Because I'm going to be there," he told her confidently.

Now, that _was_ a plus. She put an arm around his waist, pulling him into her apartment. "I'm sold already," she told him.

"Speaking of sold…"

"Yeah?"

"I made two hundred and fifty dollars today," he told her, grinning.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. "Let's just say that Brooke shouldn't be driving you crazy anymore," he said. "Lucas lost the bet."

Haley gave a huge sigh of relief. "They had sex? Oh, praise **God**! I don't think I could be any happier!" she told him.

"That's because you haven't had me yet," he teased.

She smiled at him, a hint of daring in her eyes. "The night is still young."

Suddenly, Nathan's two syllabled tie felt too constricting.


	39. Chapter 39

_Author's Note: I'm posting this on each of my stories for those of you who are anonymous readers and would like to leave a review. I was perusing my profile the other day and I noticed that the ability to leave anonymous reviews had been disabled. I have now enabled it, so if you're an anonymous reader and have tried to leave a review before and weren't able to—you should be able to do so now if you want to!_

_As always, thank you all so much for taking the time to read my stories. And also to those who review—I love hearing your thoughts, so thanks, again!_

_Now, the story…_

"I still can't believe that you rammed right into that poor old lady!" Nathan said.

Haley laughed. "Poor old lady? She was in my way! If I didn't ram into her to get around her, you were going to get ahead of me!" she reminded him.

Nathan started laughing, and then, examining his options, he gently tapped the golf ball with his club, but it didn't make it in time. It hit one of the spinning vanes on the windmill and rolled back down to him. "Dammitt!" he said. "What am I doing wrong?"

Haley grinned. "Playing against me was your first mistake," she informed him.

"Wow. Feisty tonight. If my ball goes in on the next shot, are you gonna tackle me to get ahead?"

Haley laughed. "I'm seriously considering it," she warned.

Nathan sighed and grinned to himself. "Can you imagine? Fifty years of marriage. Wow."

When time had run out and they'd had to get off the go-kart track, Nathan had insisted on expressing his sorrow to the woman. Haley wanted to make a mad dash for it, but he squeezed her hand so tight, she couldn't get away. Nathan had apologized while Haley had meekly stood by, a weak and embarrassed smile on her face. Running into someone you didn't know was one thing, but when your date decided to make a new friend, it was something else entirely. The older woman had just waved a hand and laughed in understanding. Then she'd leaned in and stage whispered to Nathan," Why she'd want to get away from you, I can't imagine!" Haley had had to hold back a snort. Nathan seemed to have a natural ability to charm everyone they met no matter where they went. The woman had gone on to introduce them to her husband of fifty years—as it turned out, today was their anniversary and they'd chosen to spend it having fun. They each had a hard time getting around on their feet, so for the past two hours, they'd been going around and around and around on the go-kart track.

Haley shook herself from her thoughts. "It's a long time," she agreed, giving her ball a hard whack. It sailed right into the little door at the bottom of the windmill. She walked over to Nathan and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And that's how it's done," she said smugly.

"You weren't even looking at the windmill!" he said baffled.

Haley laughed. "It's all right here," she said, putting her hand on her heart.

Nathan took two steps forward so he was right in front of her, and put his arms around her waist. "Well, that explains it, then. I'm no longer in possession of mine," he said softly, kissing her on the nose. "It belongs to you now."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Nathan, but you're not distracting me from my game!" She grabbed his hand and started tugging him to the next stop on the course.

He groaned. "I swear—somewhere in time, you and Lucas must have been soul mates. He used to make me do this all the time!"

"Why'd he stop?" she asked.

"He met Brooke," Nathan told her. "Now she has to do all of that stuff with him."

"Oh, you mean you were dating your brother until Brooke came along?" she teased.

Nathan laughed. "Not quite."

Haley grabbed a golf ball and put it on the tee in front of her. "Do you want me to go first so you can study my method?" she asked arrogantly.

"I think I can manage," Nathan said. For the remainder of the five holes, Nathan concentrated fiercely, but it didn't seem to help. While Haley made all of them on the first try, except for the one with the little jailhouse—that one took her two, Nathan only managed to get three shots in. And never once on the first try.

After the last hole, Haley cleared her throat as Nathan stood there with his male ego a little bruised. "I'm pretty sure I won," she told him.

"Ya think?" he asked dryly, then sighed. "Go ahead and rub it in," he urged. He could tell from the twinkle in her eyes that she wanted to.

Haley grinned. "I won, I won, I won," she said in a singsong voice, doing a little victory dance. She danced right over to Nathan and jumped up, kissing him on the cheek. "If anyone asks, you let me win," she told him.

He picked her up by the waist and spun her around, laughing. "Thanks," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "It's like a band-aid on my fragile male ego," he told her, putting her back down. He took her hand." Come on," he said.

She had to practically run to keep up with his swift pace. "Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly.

"To the batting cages," he said over his shoulder. "I need to redeem myself."

Haley laughed. "I rock at the batting cages," she informed him.

He stopped in his tracks and she ran smack into him. He turned around and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Haley, if you do _not_ let me show off here some, I may never recover from this night."

Haley giggled. "Got it," she said.

When they got to the batting cages, Haley insisted that Nathan go first. Every time the bat connected with the ball—and it did every single time, the sound was practically deafening. But Haley wasn't surprised. She'd seen those biceps numerous times and could only imagine the strength they held. Of course Nathan's swing would be fierce. After about fifteen or twenty pitches, Nathan looked at Haley and grinned, then walked over to her. "Not bad," she told him, giving his ego a stroke. Grinning, she walked over to the batters box and leaned just a little too far forward for Nathan's liking. "Hales—you might want to take a step back," he told her.

"Nathan—I know what I'm doing!" she told him.

"OK," he said, holding up his hands. As the ball flew towards Haley, he stood there nervously. He could see that it was headed straight for her, so she must see it, too. "Haley!" he said as the ball connected with her helmet. Haley dropped her bat immediately, as the force was enough to knock her over. Nathan watched as she threw her arm out, elbow locked. When she landed, he heard a piercing scream. He had to wait for another ball to go flying over her head, and then, timing it just right he ran over to her and pulled her out of the line of fire. "Haley? Are you OK?" he asked gently pulling her to her feet. She was cradling the injured elbow with her other hand.

"I'm not sure," she said her voice choked. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Come on," he said softly, exiting the space surrounded by the net.

As they were walking, an attendant ran up to them. "Are you OK?" he asked nervously. He was a young kid, and Nathan could tell he was scared to death.

Nathan nodded. "We're fine," he said. "We're just going to get going now," he said.

"I'm so sorry," the attendant said. "If there's anything I can do…here!" he said, thrusting some small tickets at him.

"What are these?" Nathan said, taking them.

"They're two tickets for a free night of our entire facility," he informed Nathan.

Nathan laughed and handed them back to the kid. "Oh, we won't be back," he said.

"Oh yes we will!" Haley said grabbing the tickets from Nathan's hand with the hand attached to her good arm. She smiled weakly at the young man. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," he said, grinning.

Nathan gave Haley's shoulder a gently nudge, pushing her in the direction of the exit. Once they got outside, he made her sit on the bench by the entrance. "Let me see your arm," he ordered.

She let go of her elbow and Nathan gently took her wrist, trying to straighten out her arm. "Oww!" she cried in pain. "Nathan, don't."

He crouched down in front of her and pushed her hair away from her face. "Haley, I think we need to get you to the emergency room."

She lifted her eyes to his and the tears started to fall. She shook her head frantically. "I can't go to the hospital!" she said desperately.

"Haley, your elbow could be broken," he told her softly. "We need to get it X-rayed."

"What if they have to give me a shot?" she asked pitifully.

"Are you kidding?" he asked.

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

"If they have to give you a shot, I'll be right there with you," he assured her.

"But I don't want one," she insisted.

Nathan sighed, frustrated. "Haley, listen to me," he said firmly. "We need to get this treated as soon possible because we don't know what's wrong. If you let it sit, it's probably going to get worse. So, let's get you in the vehicle, and then we can fight about the shot there, OK?"

She nodded and stood up, walking slowly beside him. They finally got to Nathan's SUV and he helped her into it. When he got her buckled in, he looked at her. "You're going to be OK, Hales."

She smiled through her tears. "I'm having a great time," she said, her voice thick with pain.

Nathan laughed. "God, I love you, Hales." He watched as her expression immediately sobered and then realized what he'd just said. "Well—I meant—what I meant to say was—aww, hell, Haley. I love you," he said, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes. She smiled tenderly at him. "That's…nice, Nathan," she said, pulling her hand away from her elbow to cup his cheek.

Nathan stepped back away from her touch and shut her door gently. Out of all of the scenarios he'd played over and over in his head when he'd thought about telling Haley he loved her, she'd never said _that_.

Haley beating up on senior citizens—Nathan could take. Her winning at miniature golf was OK, too— he could live with that. Even the elbow didn't ruin the date for him. But this? Nathan's night started its downward spiral at this.


	40. Chapter 40

_Author's Note: Chapter 40? Wow! I never thought when I started this story that it would go on for this long, but I have to say, I'm having so much fun writing it. I hope you're having as much fun reading it!_

_Thanks again for all of your amazing reviews. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate them! They make my days!_

"I've taken a look at the X-ray, and just like we thought, it _is _dislocated," the doctor told Haley. "But the good news is that it's only a partial dislocation, which is the least serious of all elbow dislocations."

Haley nodded slowly. "So…what does this mean?" she asked tentatively, even though she wasn't sure she wanted to know. When the doctor had first come in and introduced herself as Dr. O'Malley, Haley had liked her immediately. She'd been very kind and patient while Haley had plied her with questions.

"What it means is that I'm going to have to get the bones back into place as soon as possible," she said.

Haley swallowed past the lump of fear in her throat. Nathan, who was sitting up beside her, leaned over and kissed her on the temple. He had his arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be OK," he assured her.

"Is it going to hurt?" Haley asked the doctor.

"Yeah, it's going to be very uncomfortable," the doctor told her honestly. "But before we do anything, we're going to get an IV in you and give you some pain medication. That will reduce the discomfort."

"Well—can't I just take a pill?" Haley asked.

Dr. O'Malley shook her head. "No. Intravenously is the quickest way to get the medication in your system. I'm going to go get what I need and we can do this right here," she said. "The nurse should be in soon to get your IV in you."

"OK. Thanks Dr. O'Malley."

The young woman smiled at Haley. "You can call me Callie," she said on her way out.

As soon as she walked out, Haley turned to Nathan. "An IV?" she shrieked.

"Callie O'Malley?" he said at the same time, laughing. "What a name." He noticed the fear on Haley's face. "It's going to be OK," he said soothingly.

"I want to leave," she said, half serious.

Nathan laughed. "We're not going anywhere until that elbow of yours is back in place," he said firmly.

"Nathan—"

"It's going to be fine," he assured her.

Haley's eyes filled up with tears. "I've never had a broken bone before. Or anything stronger than Tylenol!" she divulged.

"It's going to be fine," he said again.

"Are you going to come home with me tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm going to come home with you tonight," he said smiling softly.

She took a deep breath. "Are you mad at me?" she asked. He'd been acting weird ever since he'd told her he loved her. Not that she could blame him—her reaction had been less than stellar.

He shook his head. "I'm not mad at you," he told her.

"But you're not happy with me," she stated.

"We'll talk about it later," he said, making it clear that it wasn't up for discussion right now.

Haley sighed and leaned into him while she still could. She was afraid that once they got home, their conversation would change everything. He immediately tightened his hold on her and following her lead, leaned into her. "You OK?" he asked.

"I'm petrified," she said. But she wasn't talking about her elbow anymore. She had a feeling that this was going to be a piece of cake compared to what was ahead of her with Nathan.

777

Three o'clock that morning, after Nathan had tucked Haley into bed and left her in the care of Brooke, he'd gone back to his apartment. Haley had passed out from the anesthesia on the way home, and was snoring like a sailor, so he was pretty sure she'd sleep well into tomorrow. He walked in and took his coat off, hanging it by the door. He went into the kitchen, and grabbing two popsicles out of the freezer, he went up the stairs. Instead of going to his own room, Nathan knocked on Lucas door. "Hey, big brother?" he whispered. "You up?"

He opened the door wider so that he'd have the light from the hallway to guide him. "Luke!" he said in a louder whisper.

"Dude!" Lucas said sleepily. He had been sleeping on his stomach shirtless, his arms up underneath his pillow. He lifted his head to look at the clock on his nightstand. "Why the hell are you waking me up at three a.m.?" he grumbled.

Nathan sighed and held up his left hand. "I brought you a popsicle," he said.

Lucas rolled over and sat up. "Oh. OK," he said, moving away from the middle of the bed. He took the Popsicle his brother handed him.

Nathan laid down beside his brother and put his head on the other pillow. "I think Haley and I broke up tonight," he confessed, opening his Popsicle and looking at it appreciatively. _Orange. Jackpot!_

"What do you mean you 'think?'?" Lucas asked, looking for clarification.

"I told her I loved her and she said 'that's nice,'" Nathan explained.

Lucas made a face. "Ouch! That's like getting hit between the legs with a 120 mile an hour fastball," he said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Nathan agreed.

"That really sucks. But if it helps, I had to wait a looong time for Brooke to tell me she loved me."

"Yeah, that actually _doesn't_ help," Nathan said.

"Sorry," Lucas said, shrugging.

Just then, Jake peeked his head in, one eye closed, the other squinting. "What the hell are you guys doing up?" he asked.

"What are _you _doing up?" Nathan shot back.

"I couldn't sleep," Jake told them. "I can't stop thinking about Pey. Hey—are you guys having _manly_ chat?"

"Yeah," they said in unison.

"Move over," Jake said, heading for the bed. Nathan moved so that he was in the middle of the bed and Jake lay down next to him. "Did you get me a popsicle?" Jake asked, eyeing Nathans.

"Dude, you weren't in even in here!" Nathan said defending himself before Jake could even start making accusations.

Jake jumped up. "I'll be right back," he said, sprinting from the room.

"Can you get me one?" Lucas and Nathan yelled after him at the same time.

Jake finally came back up, with three popsicles and distributed them. After they opened them and made trades for the flavor they each wanted, they began their chat again.

"So, thinking about Peyton again?" Lucas asked.

Jake sighed. "_Again_? I haven't _stopped_ thinking about her since she left," he said. "Where the hell is she?" he asked half-heartedly.

"Los Angeles," Nathan said unexpectedly, taking a lick of his Popsicle. Lucas and Jake's eyes flew to his face.

"What?!" they said at the same time.

"Fuck!" Nathan said. "I…don't… know where Peyton is," he said.

Jake sat up. "How long have you known?"

"I…" Nathan sighed. "For about four hours. Haley told me while she was getting her elbow put back in place. She was high," he said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What?" Lucas asked. "What the hell happened tonight?" he asked in a high pitched voice.

Nathan gave Lucas a dirty look at his tone of voice. "Well, clearly _you_ went falsetto," he said dryly.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "With you and Haley."

Nathan went on to explain how things had gone until Lucas started howling with laughter. "Oh, dude!"

"What?" Nathan said angrily.

"You!" Lucas said in disbelief, reigning his laughter in. "There she is—arm flopping all over the place, probably snotty from crying, and you choose then to tell her you love her?" He started laughing again. "_You're _the idiot, little brother!" he said.

"_I'm _the idiot?" Nathan asked, his temper rising. "_You're _the one laughing like a hyena!"

Lucas wasn't deterred. He kept on laughing.

"OK, so…back to Pey," Jake said loudly to be heard over Lucas' mirth. "Where does she fit into this story?"

Nathan sighed. "Dr. O'Malley was getting ready to move her elbow back in place, and she asked me to get her mind off of it, and so I asked how she thought Peyton was doing. She was so drunk off the anesthesia, she just said, 'I don't know, but I hope she likes Los Angeles.'"

"Wow," Lucas said. "I should've tried getting Brooke drunk and grilling her. But Brooke doesn't get talkative when she's drunk. She just gets horny."

Nathan groaned and Jake rolled his eyes.

"So, are you going to go after her?" Lucas asked.

"No!" Nathan yelled, before Jake could answer. "He _can't_ go after her. Then Haley will know I told him where Peyton is!"

Jake rolled his eyes at Nathan and then slowly shook his head. "I'm not going after Peyton," he said.

"What?" Lucas asked in disbelief. "Why not?"

"Well, it's certainly not because I don't want Haley to find out that Nathan blabbed," Jake said dryly, then sighed. "For one thing, she's probably in the middle of classes right now. My guess is she transferred schools to get out there, so she's not going to come back in the middle of the semester anyway."

"And second of all?" Lucas asked.

"I want her to realize that _this_ is where she belongs," he said. "I don't want to beg her or drag her back here. I want her to _want _to come back here."

"And what if she doesn't?" Lucas asked.

"I'll give her two weeks until classes are done, and if she's still not back, I'm going after her."

"Dude!" Lucas said in approval. He lifted his fist up and Jake hit it with his own.

"So…Haley doesn't have to know I told?" Nathan asked.

Jake laughed. "Haley doesn't have to know you told," he confirmed.

"Nice," Nathan said.

"Yeah, just like your love for Haley," Lucas joked. He straightened at Nathans glare. "Too soon?"

"Just a bit," Nathan said peeved.

"Hey, how come you guys never invite me to have _man__l__y_ chat?" Jake questioned.

"Because you say it like _that,_" Nathan said.

"Oh," Jake said, getting up. "Well, I better get back to bed," he said. Jake knew he'd sleep better than he had in weeks. He finally knew where Peyton was, and while she may not have been right there by his side, Jake had a plan, and for now—that was going to keep him going.

"We still haven't resolved the Haley situation," Nathan reminded him.

Lucas rolled over to go to sleep. "Dude, that's hopeless," he said, hoping to get a rise out of his brother. He did.

Nathan reached over and shoved Lucas off the side of the bed, then got up and went into his own room.


	41. Chapter 41

_Author's Note: I just wanted to say t__hanks again for all of your reviews!__ It was very exciting for me because the last chapter got the most reviews out of any chapter I've written so far, so I'm guessing that means you guys are enjoying it! Thanks, again!__ You guys are great and your comments give me warm fuzzies!_

When Haley woke up the next morning at eight, she had a killer headache from the pain medication they'd given her. She slowly sat up and looked around, but Nathan wasn't there. She swung her legs over the side of the bed just as her door opened. Brooke rushed over to her. "Haley! What are you doing?" she scolded frantically.

"I'm getting up," she told her friend.

"No! I'm going to wait on you today."

"Brooke—where's Nathan?" Haley asked, not moving.

"He left last night. After he carried you in and put you in your jammies," Brooke said, wiggling her eyebrows.

_Of-course he did,_ Haley thought, looking down at her attire. She was wearing the shortest nighty she owned. She sighed. "He left?"

"Yes, he did," Brooke said. She grunted as she lifted Haley's legs back up on the bed.

Haley face filled with amusement. "I'm not an invalid, Brooke," she reminded her friend.

"I know, but you do need some TLC for a little while. That's where I come in!" Brooke sat down on the bed and sat up against the headboard next to Haley. "What's going on with you guys?" she asked.

Haley rolled her eyes. "It was me. It was _all _me."

"_What_ was all you?" Brooke asked impatiently.

Haley took a deep breath. "Nathan told me that he loved me," she announced.

Brooke squealed. "Haley! That's great!" she said, then frowned. "Wait. An 'I love you' is big. Why wouldn't he have stayed over after that?" She groaned. "Oh, God, Haley, what did you do?"

Haley wouldn't look in Brooke's eyes. "I…might've…told him it was…nice," she said.

Brooke put a hand to her forehead. "Haley James, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Well, _lots_ of things I've found out recently," she conceded.

"You didn't say it back?"

"Well, neither did you!" Haley defended herself. "It's not an easy thing to say."

"Yes, it is," Brooke said.

"Well then how come _you _didn't say it?"

Brooke crossed her arms. "Because _I'm _an idiot. I expected more from _you,_" she said.

Haley laughed. "_You _expected _me_ to be more man savvy than you? That's funny, Brooke. That's really funny. Good one."

Brooke sighed. "We need some major damage control," she said.

"Can we have some ice cream first?" Haley asked with a pout.

"Ice cream? For breakfast? You bet!" she said, jumping off the bed and running into the kitchen. When she came back, she had two pints of ice cream and two spoons. She opened one for Haley and then one for herself.

"So, how's the arm?" Brooke asked.

"It hurts like hell," Haley admitted, examining it closely. This splint was going to be very inconvenient.

"Let me get you something for the pain."

Haley shook her head. "No, that's OK. If it gets worse, I might, but for now, I'm OK. I'm already hung over from all the drugs they gave me last night."

"OK," Brooke said.

"Knock, knock," Mouth said from Haley's doorway.

"Hey, Mouth," both of the girls said at the same time.

"Wow," Brooke said, looking him up and down. "Are those the same clothes you were wearing last night?" she asked.

He grinned. "They are," he confessed.

Brooke moved over so she was in the middle of the bed and patted the spot beside her. "Then come sit down and spill!" she commanded.

Mouth took his jacket off and threw it on Haley's bedroom floor, then walked over and sat down next to Brooke on the bed. He shrugged. "It's not really a big deal. An all night foosball tournament on campus," he said. "Not very exciting."

"Well, did you win?" Brooke asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Mouth said proudly.

"Then I would say that's _very_ exciting," she said.

Mouth grinned at her approval, and then his expression immediately sobered. "Haley, what the hell happened to you?" he asked his voice full of concern.

Haley sighed. "Well, Mouth, it all started like this…" she said, proceeding to tell him of the events of the night before.

"And Haley said, that's nice," Brooke said, finishing up.

Mouth took a deep breath. "Nathan Scott told you that he loved you and you said 'that's nice?" he said in disbelief.

"Yes, OK. Nathan Scott said he loved me, and I said 'that's nice.'" Haley said angrily. "I'm…ten-thousand kinds of idiots!"

Brooke nodded. "Yep."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Did you come up with some damage control yet?" she asked Brooke.

Brooke looked at Mouth. "Any ideas?"

He looked over at Haley. "Do you love him?"

Haley sighed. "Of-course I love him. The guy's amazing. And he's been so…wonderful to me. About _every_thing."

"OK, as a guy, here's what I'd want." Both girls fixed their full attention on him. "If I told a girl I loved her, and I didn't get it back immediately, I'd want something big. Like…her—you know, surprising me in bed with her bra and panties. And, of-course, an 'I love you,'" he said.

Brooke hit him on the arm. "Mouth! Haley and Nathan don't do that!"

"You don't?" Mouth asked incredulously.

"Haley's waiting until marriage," Brooke said seriously.

"That's great," Mouth said, not convinced that it actually was. While he thought it was a great decision for Haley, he knew that marriage was way too far in his future to want to wait that long.

"You know, Mouth, it is so great having you here and chatting with us like this! I don't know any other guys who sit and chat like you do!" Brooke said, kissing him on the cheek. "OK." She gave her ice cream and spoon to Mouth. "Are you going to be here for the next few hours?" she asked, crawling over him to stand beside the bed.

"Yep," he said, taking a big bite of the butter pecan ice cream.

"Great. I have to hit the gym because…I'm chubbing out. Lucas takes up way too much of my time and all that time I went without sex…well, I didn't get my cardio for a while, so I've got to make up for it. I'll be back in a few hours with a new plan for you, Haley. That butt-blaster machine really helps me think!" she said. "OK? See you later!" she said, exiting the room.

Haley rolled her eyes, taking a big bite of ice cream. "She is way too perky first thing in the morning," she said. "It makes me sick."

"This ice cream is awesome!" Mouth exclaimed.

"Let me see," Haley said, stealing a bite with her spoon.

777

Despite the fact that he'd gotten in late, Lucas and Jake had still woken Nathan up at 7:30 that morning to go for a run. They'd all grabbed a basketball and headed for the Rivercourt. They'd been practicing for a few hours, and now they were practicing their free throws and rebounding while they were chatting. Jake was currently standing at the free throw line with a huge grin on his face. "What in the hell are you so happy about?" Nathan asked, irritated. He still wasn't sure what to do about the whole Haley thing. Now he wished he could just take his 'I love you' back.

"It just feels good knowing where Peyton is," he said, letting the ball go. It circled the rim a few times then went in. Nathan blocked Lucas for the rebound. He threw the ball back to Jake with a chest pass, using more force than was necessary.

"That's great, dude," he said. "Except that you _don't_ know where Peyton is," Nathan reminded him sternly.

Jake rolled his eyes, and switched spots with Nathan.

"Do you know how mad Haley is going to be when she wakes up and you're not there?" Lucas asked Nathan just as he let the ball go. He looked at Lucas so he didn't notice when it didn't go in.

"You think?" he asked, slightly panicked. He'd only been thinking about himself last night when he left.

Lucas nodded and Nathan looked at Jake, who also nodded in agreement. "Oh, yeah," he said.

Nathan sighed. "I gotta go!" he said, running for the sidewalk.

"Thank God!" Jake said when Nathan was out of ear shot. "He is _really _pissy today!"

Lucas scoffed. "You mean like you've been since Peyton left?"

"You mean like you were when you weren't getting any?" Jake shot back.

"Just shoot the stupid ball!"

"It's _your _turn," Jake said.

777

Nathan walked into the apartment, dropped his ball by the door, and ran up the stairs. He needed to take a shower before he went to see Haley. He was drenched in sweat from the run home he'd just had. Breathing heavily, he threw open his bedroom door. The sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. "Hi, Haley," he said, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Hi," she said softly.

He cleared his throat, unable to take his eyes off her. She was lying on his bed, on top of his comforter, wearing only a light turquoise satin bra and matching panties. She was lying on her side, her head propped up with the hand of her uninjured arm. "Wha—what are you doing here?" he asked still in shock.

It took all Haley had to stay still on the bed and let him just look at her. She'd never bared herself like this to a man before—body or soul. "I—I'm here to tell you I love you, too," she said firmly.

"Haley, if you're just saying it because—"

"I'm not…saying it just because," she said. "I'm saying it because it's true. I love you. I—I couldn't say it last night because, well, for one, I was in a lot of pain," she reminded him. "And two—I was sitting there, tears streaming down my cheeks, my nose running, and I know I've never looked more unattractive than I did right then. So I didn't…quite believe you. But when I could finally think clearly—which, by the way, wasn't until this morning," she sighed, "I realized that you've never been anything less than honest with me. So…I know you meant it."

He still just stood there staring at her. Haley was starting to become extremely uncomfortable. After about thirty seconds of silence, she couldn't take it anymore. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked nervously, taking in his sweat covered body. Just the way she liked him.

She watched as Nathan gave his head a shake. "Just let me get my camera," he said.

Disbelieving laughter bubbled up her throat. "Nathan!" she said.

He started walking towards her until he was standing beside the bed. He looked down at her. "Do you mean it?"

She moved to her knees and crawled across the bed until she was in front of him. "I mean it," she said sincerely. "I love you, Nathan."

He rested his forehead on hers. "That's…nice," he said.

Haley laughed in relief and hit him playfully on the chest. "Say it back," she instructed.

"I love you Haley James someday Scott," he told her.

She grinned and lifted her mouth to his. He took her face in his hands and swept his tongue in her mouth. He moved his hands to her shoulders and started slowly moving them down her arms in a feather light caress that made her shiver. When he reached her hands, he linked his fingers with hers then heard her wince. He immediately pulled away and realized she wasn't wearing her splint. "Where's your splint?" he asked almost desperately.

Haley grinned at his over protectiveness and nodded her head to his dresser. He turned around and grabbed it, then put it back on her. "Why did you take it off?" he asked accusingly.

"Somehow, it just didn't go with the outfit," she said.

Nathan laughed.

"Which reminds me," she said. "Thanks for putting me in the shortest nighty on the planet last night."

"Oh, trust me, Hales, the pleasure was all mine," he said grinning.

She started to laugh again as Nathan leaned in to kiss her once more. "Oh, wait!" she said, dodging him. "Can you get me my purse?" she asked sweetly.

He turned around, and grabbed it off his dresser. She pulled her phone out and dialed. She put it to her ear as it started ringing.

He looked at her in disbelief. "You're calling someone? Now?" Nathan whispered urgently.

Haley grinned and held up a finger. "Hey, Mouth. It's me. I just wanted to say thanks. Your idea worked like a charm," she told him, then shut her phone. She tossed it on his bed and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now, where were we?" she asked.

He carefully laid her down on the bed, being extra gentle with her injured arm. He covered her body with his, and then brought his lips to hers for a quick kiss. He had other places he wanted to explore right then. He kissed her on the spot between her shoulder and neck, and grinned as she shivered, digging her nails in his back. He'd found that spot that always made her body react. He moved his mouth down to the spot between her breasts, and using his thumbs, caressed her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra. They hardened immediately beneath his touch, and he heard her moan and whimper his name. He moved lower, leaving a trail of wet kisses down her belly. When he reached her belly button, he hastily moved off her, lying down beside her. Breathing heavily, he moved one arm so it was resting above his head, the other so it was resting on his stomach. Anywhere but near her.

She lifted her head and looked at him, an amused glint in her eyes. "Where did you go?" she asked.

He looked at her, still trying to even his breathing. "I had to stop while I could," he admitted.

Haley rolled over on her side so she was closer to him. "What if I don't want you to stop?" she asked.

Nathan moved his head to look at her, swallowing past the lump of desire in his throat. He shook his head. "It's not gonna happen, Haley," he said. "Not until we're married."

Haley sighed. "You know," she said teasingly. "If you don't give it up soon, I'm going to have to find someone who will."

Nathan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her gently closer to him. "Oh, please," he said, rolling his eyes. "Who are you kidding? You would never. You've been waiting your whole life for me," he said laughing. He expected her to join in, but when she didn't, he lifted his head to look at her. "Hales?" he asked.

"You're right," she said sincerely.

"About what?"

"I _have_ been waiting my whole life for you," she said softly. "I…I don't want to wait anymore."

"Too bad," Nathan said softly. "I'm putting my foot down."

"Nathan—"

"Oh, God, Haley. Don't make me say no again. I'm not sure I can."

Haley laid her head back down on the pillow and blinked a few times to clear her head. She suddenly realized that her waiting until marriage had become as important to him as it was to her. She sighed and then sat up. "Fine. We won't," she agreed begrudgingly. "But you're doing things for me all the time. At least let me do something for you," she said, licking her lips.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked huskily.

He lifted his hips as Haley tugged his shorts down his legs. She brought her eyes to his and grinning wickedly, lifted an eyebrow. He grinned back in anticipation.


	42. Chapter 42

As the weeks wore on, the friends fell into their own patterns. Jake was in a better place than he'd been in a long time, knowing that the time when he saw Peyton again was finally limited. He didn't know how what was going to happen with them, but he did know that he was going to lay everything out on the line for her—just like Lucas and Nathan had done. That way, if Peyton wanted to walk, he'd know he'd done absolutely everything he could to bring her back into his life. He didn't even want to think about moving on, because as far as he was concerned, a life without Peyton was out of the question, but he'd take it one day at a time for now. Jenny still asked and talked about her daily, but Jake was OK with that now. He enjoyed talking about her, and the fact that Jenny did, too, was something that brought father and daughter even closer together.

Haley had gotten done her job at the restaurant so she could spend Sundays with Maddie and Nathan, and Brooke and Lucas were in much the same boat. Brooke, of-course, didn't have a job, but Keith was more than willing to work around Lucas' schedule at the garage so that he could spend time with his affianced and their daughter. Calls from Peyton were few and far between, and the girls chose to believe that that meant Peyton had made new friends and was getting her life back on track after Jake.

Peyton's life, however, was anything but on the right track. She'd been relentlessly sick since the second trimester of her pregnancy. When she'd gone to the doctor's after she'd arrived in Los Angeles, they'd told her that she was actually three months pregnant as opposed to the six weeks that she had originally suspected. She'd questioned them about why her cycle hadn't changed, and they'd explained that it while it may not be the norm, it was possible to have light periods the first few months of pregnancy, and since Peyton's always had been light, she'd been none the wiser. So when the beginning of March rolled around, Peyton was six month's pregnant, and as miserable as could be. While she was happy about the baby, she was nervous about all the changes in her life. She'd had to drop out of school in February due to the severity of her morning sickness—which was a term she hated. As far as she was concerned, it should be called 'all day long' sickness. Only for the past few weeks had she begun to feel better. And to top all of that off, her only friend, Rachel, was still up to her party girl ways and since she'd given up that lifestyle all together, the only people Peyton really had any contact with were Bevin, and when she got up the nerve to call them, Haley and Brooke. Her father was working all the time, so contact with him had been very restricted. She'd never felt more lonely or isolated in all of her life, which never ceased to amaze her. She was carrying a _child _inside of her, so she _was_ never alone.

But it sure didn't feel that way, she thought, desperate to hear a friendly voice.

777

After his eight o'clock class got out, Jake headed for his coach's office. There were only a few more games left of the regular season, and then they'd be in the playoffs—assuming they made it. He'd been out for about six weeks now, and while the team was winning, it was by less than what they were used to, and it was painfully obvious that the team—especially Lucas and Nathan—was suffering without Jake. He'd been working his butt off to get back to where he needed to be, and Nathan's little slip about Peyton's whereabouts had brought Jake's mentality up to a whole new level. He felt like he'd been playing great for the last few weeks at practice, and if the coach wasn't going to notice it himself, it was up to Jake to bring it to his attention. As he walked across campus on that unseasonably warm March afternoon—it had hit 60 degrees—he put his hands in his pockets and couldn't help but smile to himself. He'd always thought that you had to wait for things to happen, but Jake had realized lately, that you had to _make_ them happen, and that was what he was doing. He ran up the steps to the building that housed Coach's office, and opened the door. When he reached the coach's office, he gave a soft knock. When he heard the coach say, "Come in," he opened the door and walked in. Instead of sitting down, he stood.

"Hey, Coach," he said.

The coach nodded at Jake and motioned towards the chair with his head, but Jake declined. "I'll only be here for a few minutes," he told his coach.

"What can I do for you, Jake?" the coach asked.

"Actually, it's about what I can do for you," Jake said then took a deep breath. "You were right to pull me, Coach. And I'm sorry I suggested otherwise," he said humbly.

"Is that so?" Coach Kimball asked.

Jake nodded. "That is so," he confirmed. "And I want you to know, I've been doing everything that you asked me to do. I think it should be obvious by the way I'm playing at practice." Jake put his hands in his pockets and looked his mentor in the eye. "You really oughtta keep your eye on me, Coach," he said. "Lately—I'm on fire." He left the room before his coach could respond.

Coach Kimball sat there with a big grin on his face. "About damn time," he said out loud to himself.

777

When Jake entered the beach house, he dropped his bag by the door and headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water. He grabbed one from the fridge, and then flipped through the mail on the table. He found a big manila envelope addressed to him, and curiosity got the best of him as he tore into it. His jaw dropped as he realized what the document was. It was from his lawyer. Nikki had finally renounced all parental rights to Jenny. Jake swallowed past the lump in his throat and pulled out his cell phone. "Hey, Nate. It's Jake. Let's get together at the park for a game of Frisbee. You, me, and Luke," he said. The two agreed and Nathan called Lucas to solidify their plans. If he had his way, he'd be celebrating this news with Peyton. But since she wasn't available, he'd settle for his best friends. And then he'd tell his parents later on tonight.

777

At eleven o'clock, Jake arrived at his mom and dad's house to pick up Jenny. He walked in, and his mother was headed out to meet his aunt for lunch, so he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have fun," he told her.

"What's different?" she asked perceptively.

Jake looked at her puzzled. "Nothing," he said.

"You look different. You look…_happy," _his mother whispered.

Jake grinned. "I _am_ happy, Mom," he said.

She pulled her son in for a hug. "Good. I missed your smile," she said softly. Then squeezing him one more time, she let go and headed for the door.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah," she asked, turning around.

"Let's go out for supper tonight," he said.

"You're on," she said, smiling. Then she left.

"Jenny!" Jake yelled as soon as the door was closed. He started moving throughout the house looking for his daughter. He yelled her name again.

"I'm in here, Daddy," she called from her playroom.

He walked in and smiled at the sight before him. Jenny was in her little girl rocker, rocking a baby doll. "What are you doing?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

She put a finger to her mouth. "Sshh," she told him. "I can't get my baby to sleep," she whispered.

He slowly walked in and knelt down before Jenny. "What's the matter with her?" he asked.

Jenny sighed. "I think she's very tired," she said seriously.

Jake smiled at her. "Well, let's take her for a ride in the car and maybe she'll fall asleep there," he suggested.

Jenny sighed. "That's a good idea, Daddy," she said, standing up. As soon as she did, he pulled her to him and squeezed her intensely.

"Daddy!" she said, giggling. "You're squeezing me too tight."

"I'm sorry," he said, not really meaning it. He didn't let go of her. "I'm just so glad you're mine," he said.

He let go, and she pulled away. Letting go of her baby doll with one arm, she lifted her hand up and patted her daddy's cheek. "I'm glad I'm yours, too, Daddy," she said then frowned. "Why are your eyes wet?" she questioned.

"I'm just happy," Jake said.

Jenny grinned. "Because I'm yours?" she asked.

He grinned back at her. "Yep," he confirmed.

"You know what, Daddy?"

"What?" he asked, standing up. He lifted her and her baby doll into his arms and headed down the stairs.

"When Haley and Brooke took me to see Peyton, she cried, too. Because she was so happy to see me," she told him.

"I bet she was," he said softly.

Jenny sighed. "Daddy, do you think Peyton is happy?" she asked.

Jake sighed, torn between lying to his daughter to make her happy, or telling her the truth. He sighed. "I'm not sure, Honey," he said choosing honesty. "I only know that I think she'd be happier with us."

"Me, too," Jenny agreed.

777

Pulling into the park a little while later, Jake saw Nathan's SUV and Brooke's car there. He saw Nathan, Haley, Lucas and Brooke sitting at a picnic table, with Laney and Maddie on the swings a little ways away. He got out and opening her door, he pulled Jenny from her booster seat in the back and into his arms. Together, they started walking towards their group of friends. "Daddy?" Jenny said, finally spotting the other little girls. "Can I go swing with Maddie and Laney?" she asked.

"Sure thing," he said, kissing her on the cheek, and then putting her down. She immediately began running for them, and Jake, picking his own pace up to a jog, headed for the others. He came to a stop when he reached them. "Hey," Nathan said. "What's up?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, for starters, you have a shit eating grin on your face _and_ you sounded like a giddy little school girl when you called me and asked me to get Luke and play Frisbee with you," Nathan said dryly.

Jake's grin got even wider. He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Nathan. Nathan looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. "Read it," Jake told his friend. He knew that Nathan had been in a similar position, and he'd wanted him to be the first one to know what had happened.

Nathan pulled out the paper and unfolded it, giving it a quick inspection. "Jake! That's great!" Nathan said, standing up and pulling his friend in for a hug. He slapped him on the back a few times, and then they pulled apart.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked.

"Nikki gave up all rights to Jenny," Jake informed them all, still smiling. "I never have to worry about her taking custody of my little girl again."

Brooke and Haley stood up and pulled Jake into a hug. "Jake! That is so great!" Brooke said to him.

"Thanks, Brooke," he said.

Brooke smiled and squeezed him again, then pulled away.

"That's awesome, buddy," Luke said. He slapped Jake on the shoulder.

Jake grinned. "Thanks," he said. "So, what have we got here?" he asked, looking at the two picnic baskets on the wooden table.

Haley grinned. "Lunch," she said. "I thought that since it was so warm, we could do the picnic thing," she said.

"Good idea," Jake commented.

They rounded the girls up, then, spreading some blankets out on the grass, they ate and chatted. When they were done, the guys went out into the middle of the park to play Frisbee, leaving the Brooke and Haley with the girls. They were sitting on the blanket in a circle playing duck-duck-goose when Brooke's cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID then opened her phone. "Hello?" she said, standing up and walking a few feet away to get away from the noise.

"Hey, Brooke," Peyton said with fake cheerfulness on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, hey, Peyton," Brooke said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing _great_," Peyton lied. "How are things in Tree Hill?"

"Things are—" Brooke stopped and looked down when she felt a tug on her pant leg.

"Is that Peyton _S__awyer?__" _ Jenny asked her eyes as big as saucers.

"Is that Jenny?" Peyton asked from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, it's Jenny," Brooke said, picking the little girl up. "Would you like to say 'hello' to Peyton?" Brooke asked the little girl.

Jenny nodded and Brooke resituated them so that Jenny was in one arm and with the other put the phone up to the little girls' ear. "Hi, P. Sawyer," Jenny said solemnly.

"Hi, baby girl. How are you doing?" Peyton asked her.

Jenny sighed. "We really miss you, Peyton," she said.

"We?"

Brooke watched as Jenny nodded. "She can't hear you when you shake your head, honey," she told her.

"Me and my daddy," Jenny clarified.

"Oh," Peyton said softly. She desperately wanted to know how Jenny knew this, but Peyton refused to fish for information from the little girl.

"Last night, I couldn't sleep, so daddy let me sleep with him," she said. "We talked about you," she told Peyton.

"You did?" Peyton asked.

"Yes. We talked about how pretty you are, Peyton. Daddy said he loved your eyes because they talked spoke volunes," the little girl said, mispronouncing the word volumes. "But I don't know what that means. He said that sometimes you wouldn't talk to him, and he had to look into your eyes to see what you wanted to say. He said your eyes were like windows."

Peyton laughed. "That sounds like something your daddy would say."

"_I_ like your arms the best," Jenny told her.

"My arms?" Peyton said, surprised. She laughed. "Why my arms?" she asked, lifting one of them out to her side and examining it. She'd always thought they were too thin.

"Because they give really, really good hugs," Jenny said. "Daddy squeezes me too tight and Grandma doesn't squeeze me enough, but you always squeezed me just the right way."

"Oh," Peyton said softly, tears springing to her eyes yet again.

"Daddy!" Jenny suddenly yelled. "I'm talking to Peyton!"

At the mention of Peyton's name, Jake's eyes flew to Jenny just as Nathan let the Frisbee go. "You're talking to Peyton?" Jake yelled, just as the Frisbee connected with the bridge of his nose. "Fuck!" he yelled, grabbing his nose and falling to his knees.

"Shit!" Brooke said, as Jenny screamed. She pulled the phone away from Jenny's ear and hastily put the little girl down. "Peyton, I gotta go! We might have to take Jake to the hospital!" she said panicked, closing her phone. She took off running for Jake, and when she got there, everyone else was already crowded around him.

"You OK?" Lucas asked tentatively.

Jake took a deep breath and slowly nodded his head yes as he felt a small hand on his shoulder. He looked up into a pair of huge green eyes filled with worry. "Daddy?" Jenny asked her eyes filled with tears. She was clearly scared.

Jake forced himself to remain calm and slowly went from a crouch to a sitting position on the ground. He really wanted to let loose another string of expletives at the pain he was feeling, but instead, he pulled Jenny into his arms. "I'm fine, Honey," he assured her, as silent tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm OK," he said again, stroking her hair.

Brooke sighed in relief. They all stayed gathered around Jake for a minute until they were sure he was O, and then Brooke walked back to the blanket again. She opened her phone and dialed Peyton's number. "Hello?" her friend answered with a concerned voice.

"Jake is fine," Brooke told her friend. "He just got hit in the nose with a Frisbee. But I'm more worried about you. How are ya?"

"I'm OK," Peyton said unconvincingly, choking back tears.

"Really?" Brooke asked dryly.

"Yeah," Peyton said.

"How are classes going?" Brooke asked, changing the subject, desperate to keep Peyton on the phone. She still hadn't had a real conversation with her friend since she'd left.

"They're going great," Peyton lied. "And Rachel and I are having a ton of fun," she said fervently.

"That's good," Brooke said.

"Oh, that's my call waiting," Peyton said. "It's my dad, so I'm going to let you go."

"Peyton—" Brooke said.

"I'll call you later," Peyton said, hanging up before Brooke could say another word.

Brooke sighed and looked at her phone in disgust, then shut it. Everyone was still gathered around Jake, so Brooke went over and grabbed Haley's arm dragging her away from the group.

"Is everything OK?" Haley asked.

Brooke took a deep breath. "No, everything is not OK. We have to go see her, Haley. I thought she was getting better, but I could tell by the tone of her voice that she's still devastated and I'm really worried about her. I can't believe I've let this go on this long. No more," she said fiercely. "We're going to LA, and we're going unannounced," Brooke said. "I don't want her to have the chance to talk us out of it again."

Haley nodded. "I agree. We need to see her. And even more—I think she need to see us."

"Me, too," Brooke said. "And I want to leave first thing in the morning," she said.

"OK," Haley agreed. "First thing in the morning, we go to L.A."

Brooke nodded. "OK," she said, finally satisfied. She needed to see with her own two eyes that Peyton was still in one piece.


	43. Chapter 43

_Author's Note: I probably won't be doing any updates tomorrow night as I will be busy watching the season premiere of One Tree Hill. (__Insert__ shriek here). I am so excited to see it, just as I'm sure the rest of you are. Enjoy! I know I will!_

"Mouth, no!" Brooke said, randomly throwing things into her suitcase. Typically, she never packed so haphazardly, but she and Haley had decided to leave that very afternoon instead of waiting for the next morning and Brooke was on a mission. "You don't even know where Peyton is," she said.

"Brooke, I was in the room when you booked the flight to Los Angeles. Come on. She's my friend, too."

Brooke sighed. "Mouth, she's really hurting. I just don't want it to be uncomfortable with you there."

"Do you really think there's a way for this to be comfortable anyway?" he asked.

Brooke took a deep breath. "Fine," she said. "But hurry up. If you're not ready in five, we're leaving without you."

"Yeah! Road trip, baby!" Mouth said, running from the room.

Brooke rolled her eyes. _It's going to be a long flight_, she thought, sitting down on her bed and pulling her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Lucas' number and waited for him to pick up.

"How's my baby?" he asked in greeting.

Brooke smiled to herself. "I'm good. How's mine?"

"He misses you," Lucas told her.

Brooke laughed. "Well, you're going to have to miss me for the weekend or longer," she told him.

"Why?" he asked.

Brooke sighed. "Haley and I are going to see Peyton," she told him. "We're hoping it's going to be quick, but it may turn into a few days."

"Did she ask you to fly to LA?" he asked her.

Brooke froze. "What did you just say?" she asked.

"Uhh…nothing. I didn't say anything," he said, silently cursing himself.

"How did you know Peyton's in LA?" Brooke asked.

Lucas sighed. "Haley told Nathan when they had her all drugged up to pop her elbow back in place," he said.

"Oh," Brooke said. "It doesn't matter anyway. We're gonna try and get her to come home."

"Thank God! Jake misses her like crazy!" Lucas said.

"I know he does, Lucas, but that's not why we're doing this. Peyton needs us right now. And we need her, too," Brooke said sadly.

"Work your magic, Babe," Lucas said encouragingly.

"I'm going to try," she told him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said softly.

777

"Do you want some?" Rachel asked Peyton from the kitchen.

"Yeah, grab me a pint!" Peyton answered, thankful that her friend had shown up. She'd been so lonely all day long, and then, out of nowhere, Rachel had shown up at her front door.

She smiled in thanks as Rachel passed her a pint of ice cream and a spoon. "So, how's the heartburn?" Rachel asked, plopping down on the other end of the couch.

Peyton nodded her mouth already full of Phish Food. She waited until she'd swallowed all of it. "It's much better. Baby likes pretty much anything now," she told her friend.

Rachel smiled softly. "I'm glad you're not as sick as you were," she said.

"Thanks," Peyton said. "So, let's get the elephant out of the room. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked offended.

Peyton grinned knowingly at her friend. "It's Friday night, Rach. You should be out trying to get Tom, Dick, _and_ Harry into bed."

Rachel sighed. "I'm so sick of it, Peyton," she said honestly.

"Sick of what?"

Rachel shrugged. "All of it. You know, I love the way I look. I really do. But sometimes I just want to be that chubby little girl again," she said wistfully.

Peyton's expression sobered and she leaned towards the coffee table, putting her ice cream and spoon down. She lifted a hand and placed it tenderly on her friend arm. "Rach, is everything OK?" she asked her voice full of concern.

Rachel shrugged again. She loved this 'mommy mode' that Peyton had going on. She was so proud of her friend for staying strong. Rachel knew there was no way she could have gone through this all alone. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she realized how little she'd been there for her friend. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Just the usual," she answered.

"This isn't the usual Rach. This is someone I don't normally see."

"Do you ever wish things were different, Peyton?" she asked.

Peyton gave her an amused glare. "Are you kidding?" For the first time in she couldn't remember how long, Peyton laughed. "I'm knocked up with a child that belongs to the man of my dreams but he broke up with me because—well, I don't even know why because I left before he could get a word in edgewise. His daughter—who I love to pieces—is all the way across the country with him, and so are most of my friends. Honey—you are preaching, and I am the choir! Yeah, I wish things were different," Peyton said.

"Me, too," Rachel said honestly.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning where the hell are all the good guys? You know the ones who don't want to get into your pants ten minutes after you meet them!"

"Well, they're certainly not at all those bars you're hanging out at," Peyton said dryly.

Rachel giggled. "I think you might be right about that." There was a short pause. "Hey! You know what I want to do?" she asked excitedly.

"What?" Peyton asked.

"I want to watch The Bridges of Madison County and polish off this pint of ice cream," she told Peyton.

Peyton grinned at her friend. "You're just trying to turn into that chubby little girl again."

Rachel snorted. "It would take a heck of a lot more than one pint of ice cream to get me back to where I was before this glorious body went into effect!" she teased.

Peyton laughed. "You are in luck, Rachel Gattina, because I happen to have The Bridges of Madison County on my movie shelf," she told her.

"You are kidding!" Rachel exclaimed.

Peyton shook her head. "Nope. It's the only chick flick I own," she said, getting up and popping it into the DVD player. The girls cuddled up together on the couch to watch their movie.

777

Later that night, Rachel was on her way home after the movie. Peyton had fallen asleep halfway through, but Rachel had stayed up for the entire thing, loving every second of it. She really didn't spend enough time with her girlfriends. But after the fun she'd had with Peyton tonight, that was all about to change. As far as she was concerned, all men were now on the back burner. She was in mid-thought when her cell phone rang. She grinned when at the number on the screen and flipped open her phone. "Hey, Bitch," she said. "What's up?"

Brooke laughed. "Not much, what's up with you?"

"Oh, I'm just on my way home," Rachel said.

"Well, do you think you could swing by LAX and pick me and a few friends up?" Brooke asked.

"You're shitting me."

Brooke laughed again. "Nope."

Rachel did a U-turn right where she was. "I'm on my way," she said.

777

"Dude! This place rocks!" Mouth said an hour later as they entered Rachel's house. Rachel grinned at him over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Lips," she said.

"Mouth," he corrected her. "My name is Mouth.

"I know," she teased.

"Are you sure we need to wait until tomorrow to go see Peyton?" Brooke said anxiously.

"Trust me, Brooke," Rachel told her friend. "She was exhausted. She…definitely needs her sleep."

"She's depressed, isn't she?" Brooke asked, dropping her suitcase by the door. Haley and Mouth did the same, all three looking intently at Rachel for an answer.

"Well, that's certainly one way of looking at it," she said.

"Stupid Jake!" Haley said.

"So," Rachel said. "Do you guys want to go clubbing?"

Brooke shook her head. "No. We need to get up and see Peyton early tomorrow. We really want to see her as soon as we can."

Rachel nodded in understanding.

"I'll go clubbing," Mouth said excitedly. "I've never been in Los Angeles before. I don't want to miss anything!"

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to miss a few things, Mouth, because we're only here for 24 hours," Brooke told him sarcastically.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Don't mind Bitch. She's just being a Brooke," she said.

Brooke rolled her eyes in turn. "Well, you two have fun clubbing. Haley and I need to call our men and then get some rest for tomorrow. I have a feeling we might have a fight on our hands," she said softly.

"Brooke, go easy on Peyton," Rachel said. "She's having a tough time."

"I know," Brooke said sadly. "I'll be easy on her."

Rachel smiled. "Good. Now, where to, Mouth?"

He shrugged. "You know the hot spots," he said, following her back out the front door.

"Unbelievable," Brooke said. "I bet she steals Mouth's virginity."

"You think Mouth is a virgin?" Haley asked surprised.

"You _don't_?" Brooke asked, just as surprised.

"I guess I never really thought about it," she said.

"Yeah, well, let's stop thinking about it and get our butts upstairs," Brooke said grabbing her suitcase and heading for the spiral case. Haley followed behind her, a disturbing visual in her head.

777

Haley and Brooke arrived at the address that Rachel had written down for them the night before, and Brooke knocked loudly on the door. When the door opened less than a minute later, Peyton was standing there in a light yellow knee length sundress and a surprised expression on her face. Her expression was immediately mirrored on her friend's faces.

"Peyton!" Brooke exclaimed softy, immediately noticing her best friend's condition.

Peyton looked down and immediately burst into tears. The girls moved into the apartment and Brooke took Peyton in her arms. As Peyton sank to the floor, Brooke went with her. Haley noticed the tissues on the coffee table and went over to get them for Peyton. She was angry to see that there were more on the coffee table than in the actual box. From the looks of things, Peyton had been doing a lot of crying.

Haley sat down beside her two friends and handed Peyton a tissue. Peyton took it and pulled away from Brooke, loudly blowing her nose.

"Peyton, _what_ is going on?" Brooke asked.

"Well, I'm pregnant!" Peyton announced.

"I can see that," Brooke said softly. "But why am I just finding out now?"

Peyton looked at her, and Brooke's heart broke for her friend. She had never seen Peyton so distraught. "He didn't want me," she said.

"Jake?" Brooke asked, pushing Peyton's hair back behind her ear.

Peyton nodded. "He didn't want me," she repeated, blowing her nose again.

"Well, Jake is an ass," Haley said.

Both sets of eyes turned to her. "Well, it needed to be said," she defended herself. "Jake can be a smart man, but I think we can all agree that in this instance, he's been quite the idiot."

"You always know how to make a girl feel better, Hales," Peyton said, giggling.

Haley smiled softly and squeezed her friend's hand. "Anything for you, Peyton."

Peyton promptly burst into tears again, and Brooke gave Haley a scolding look. Haley shrugged her shoulders, as if to say "what'd I do?"

"I missed you guys so much," Peyton said. "I feel so alone," she admitted. "And I can't even see Jake." Brooke and Haley gave her confused looks. "On the television," she clarified.

"Peyton, what are you talking about?" Haley asked.

"I tried watching the games on television, but Jake is never playing. What's going on?" she asked.

Haley hesitated. "He got benched, Peyton. He's not playing very well. He hasn't been since you left. And if it counts for anything, the jerk is asking about you. All the freaking time!"

"Well, this stops today," Brooke declared. "You're coming home with us."

Peyton looked at her in alarm. "I—I can't do that, Brooke."

"Why not?" Brooke demanded.

"Because I don't want Jake to know that I'm pregnant," she said.

"Well, that's just too bad," Brooke said. "He's going to know."

"You're going to tell him," Peyton stated.

Brooke shook her head. "No, P. Sawyer. _You're_ going to tell him," she said softly.

Peyton shook her head furiously. "I am _not_ going to tell him."

"So he breaks up with you and he gives up all rights to his child?" Brooke asked trying to keep her voice neutral.

"His _son_," Peyton said. "I'm having a boy."

"Really?" Brooke's eyes lit up. "A little baby boy Peyton?" She put her hand on her friends' belly. "Oh, his blonde curly hair is going to be gorgeous," she said, moved to tears at the fact that her best friend was going to be a mom, and to know that she was going to have a boy.

"It's OK, Brooke," Peyton said, patting Brooke on the back.

Brooke pushed Peyton's hand away. "Don't you dare comfort me when you are the one who needs to be comforted!" Brooke scolded her friend.

"I'm sorry," Peyton whispered.

"Peyton, if you don't come home, I'm staying," Haley said quietly.

Peyton's eyes flew to Haley's. "What?"

"You heard me. You can't do this alone. I know you think you're strong, and you're right. You _are _strong. But there are just some things that you shouldn't have to do alone," Haley told her friend. "And this is one of them." 

"Haley—I would never let you do that for me."

"I'm not asking you, Peyton. You and Brooke are my very best friends on the planet, and I'd do anything for either one of you. You need us. And if you won't come home to Tree Hill, then I'm staying here."

"But what about Nathan and Maddie?" Peyton asked.

Haley shrugged. "They'll be OK without me for a little while," she bluffed. "But I have my doubts about you." There was a pause. "Can I be honest with you, Peyton?" Haley asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Peyton said, taking Haley's hand.

Haley squeezed Peyton's hand. "You're not going to like this, but it has to be said. Jake has some faults—well, a lot of them, actually, and…oww!" Haley said, as Brooke hit her on the leg. She rubbed that spot and gave Brooke a dirty look. "Well, he does," she insisted. "But that's not my point. I know this is hard to hear, but at least when Nikki took off, Peyton, she knew what she was leaving behind. Nothing was taken from her. She willingly gave it up. You're taking Jake's son away from him. When he finds out about this—and don't kid yourself Peyton, because he will—no one can keep a secret this big—he's going to be a broken man. Are you going to be able to live with that?"

"I wanna go home," Peyton wailed on a sob.

"What?" Haley asked exchanging a look with Brooke. Neither one of them had expected it to be this easy.

"I can't break Jake," she said, the tears flowing down her cheeks.

Haley nodded slowly. "Then let's go," Haley said.

Peyton sobbed. "But I can't. Do you really think that a doctor is going to clear me to fly when I'm seven months pregnant?" she asked.

Brooke whipped out her phone and hit speed dial. "Daddy?" she said when her father answered the phone. "I need your jet," she told him.

"Sure thing, Brookie."

"And an OB-GYN," she said.

"A what?" her father roared.

777

The next morning, they were on the plane getting ready to fly back to Tree Hill. "Where the hell is Mouth?" Brooke asked huffily, looking at her watch again. "We should be in the air by now!" she complained.

"Relax, Brooke. I'm sure he's on his way," Haley told her.

Brooke sighed and looked out the window again. After looking away, she did a double take. Mouth was running towards the plane with Rachel beside him. Brooke's face immediately broke into a smile. "Rachel came to say good-bye!" she said excitedly.

She waited expectantly as Mouth and Rachel boarded the plane. She grinned when she saw Rachel. "You came to say good-bye?" Brooke said. Rachel bit her lower lip in nervousness. Brooke's eyes narrowed as this was very out of character for her audacious friend. "What's going on?" she asked.

Mouth grinned from ear to ear. "My wife is flying home with us," he announced.

"Your what?!" Brooke shrieked.


	44. Chapter 44

"Ms. Davis," the pilot said, walking into the body of the plane. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist that you sit down and buckle up. It's time for take off," he told her for the third time.

"Yes, but Renaldo, I have two idiot friends here who got married last night," she gave Rachel and Mouth, who were sitting in their seats and all buckled, a stern glare. "I have all of this nervous energy to walk off!"

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to walk it off in the air. There are several planes circling in the air as we speak waiting for a place to land. LAX is a very busy airport."

Brooke sighed. "Renaldo—are you married?"

"No, ma'am," he told Brooke.

"Would you tell me if you were getting married or would you simply get married without telling me?" she asked.

"Is this a trick question, Miss Davis?"

"Oh, no, Renaldo. It's a _very_ serious question," she told him, laying a hand on his arm.

Haley and Peyton were looking at each other trying not to crack up laughing. Brooke was so melodramatic.

"If it's your wish, Ms. Davis, I will let you know before I get married."

"Thank you, Renaldo," she said, giving Mouth and Rachel a smug look, then sitting down in her seat and buckling up.

"Brooke, we—"

"Uh-uh! Not a word until we're in the air!" Brooke said, scolding Rachel.

Haley started laughing, and Brooke's head whipped around. At her intense look, Haley immediately stopped laughing and grabbed Peyton's hand.

"And _what _is so funny, Miss James?" Brooke asked.

Haley cleared her throat. "Nothing," she said quickly.

"That's what I thought!" Brooke said sternly.

_Ten minutes later…_

Brooke was pacing furiously in front of Rachel and Mouth, who were trying their best not to break into fits of laughter. They were holding each other's hands, all four of them linked together.

"OK," Brooke said, pointing to Rachel and Mouth. "One more time, from the top!" she instructed. "What the hell happened last night? When we got to Los Angeles, Mouth was this sweet innocent boy, and in less than twelve hours, _you_ corrupted him!" she yelled at Rachel.

"Brooke, I'm not innocent—"

"I am not talking to you!" she exploded.

Mouth visibly flinched at her tone while his new wife giggled.

"You think this is funny?" Brooke asked. "You just walked away from the middle of your semester at UCLA!"

Rachel shrugged. "Actually, I flunked out."

"What?" Brooke asked incredulously. "Rachel, you could pass any of those classes in your sleep!"

"Yes, as long as it's not an alcohol induced one." She shrugged. "So I imbibed a little too much. I'll take a few classes to get my grades back up and go to THU with my hubby next semester."

Brooke's gaze flew to Mouth. "You're finishing this semester, right?" she asked fearfully.

He smiled at his roommate who had become very over protective of him in the last few months. "Yes, Brooke, I'm going to finish this semester."

Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God!" Then she spun around and pointed a finger at Haley. "I told you she was going to take his virginity!" she said triumphantly.

"You're a virgin?" Rachel asked turning to Mouth.

"You guys haven't had sex?" Peyton laughed. "Oh, that's rich! Out of all the people on the planet, I never thought that Rachel Gatina would be waiting until marriage."

"Who said I'm a virgin?" Mouth asked Brooke.

Haley felt like her head was going to spin off as she looked form one person to another as they took turns speaking. It was like they were each having their own conversation. She couldn't help it. A little giggle made its way up her throat. She quickly put her hand to her mouth to try and muffle it, but it didn't work. Apparently Brooke had amazing hearing. "What is so funny, Haley? _This_ is a very serious situation!" she said.

"Come on, Brooke, it's a little funny," Peyton said, sticking up for Haley.

"Oh, don't even get me started on _you!_" Brooke advised her. "We'll have our little chitchat in just a bit Miss Self-Sufficient!"

"Sure, now that we're in the air and I can't escape," Peyton muttered.

She swung back around to Rachel and Mouth. "So, back to you two. Rachel, what did you do to him?" Brooke asked in a whiney voice.

"Nothing!" Rachel said, defending herself. "I just married him."

"Yes, but why?" Brooke demanded to know.

Mouth was offended. "You don't think I'm marriage material?" he asked annoyed.

"Oh, no, honey, you are," she assured him. "I just didn't realize _Rachel_ was," she said dryly.

Rachel looked at her husband and smiled shyly. "If you'd seen him dance, you would have married him, too," she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. Mouth grinned back at her from ear to ear, putting an arm around her and giving her a squeeze.

Brooke's jaw dropped. "Rach?" she asked in disbelief. "Did you just _bat_ your eyelashes?" she asked.

Rachel looked at Brooke, a huge smile playing across her face. "Yeah," she said softly, her eyes moving back to Mouth.

Brooke sighed and decided she was going to have to change tactics. This method clearly wasn't working. "So, what did happen last night?" Brooke asked softly.

Mouth and Rachel just kept looking at each other. "We went to this karaoke bar," Mouth told Brooke.

"It was a real dive," Rachel told them, not taking her eyes off her husband.

"What were you doing at a karaoke bar?" Peyton asked.

Rachel pulled her eyes away from Mouth and looked at Peyton. "I was sick of the same old scene," she said honestly. "So Mouth started singing Baby Got Back, and he dedicated it to me." She sighed. "It was so romantic."

"Baby Got Back is romantic?" Haley asked doubtfully. Peyton whacked her on the arm and shook her head furiously form side to side.

"Oww!" Haley muttered, rubbing her arm.

"Anyway, when the bar closed, we walked to the car and just started talking."

"You _talked _to a guy?" Brooke said in amazement. "Wow. And you guys haven't slept together?" she asked.

"Not even once, Bitch," Rachel told her friend.

"Hmm…" Brooke said thoughtfully, not even batting an eye at the nickname.

"And then?"

"We flew to Las Vegas and got hitched," Rachel said simply.

"But why? What was the defining moment?" Brooke pressed.

"I'm not sure there was one," Mouth said.

Rachel nodded her head. "No, there was," she said softly. "He told me that I had amazing insight. And that he wished I hadn't had all of that surgery, because then he might have a shot with me." Mouth's face turned red all the way to the tips of his ears.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," she whispered, leaning in and giving her husband a quick kiss on the lips. Normally she wasn't so shy about public affection, but her feelings weren't usually involved, either.

"So, did you go to Vegas last night?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah. We just found someone who was ordained and he performed the ceremony," Rachel explained.

"Are you sure it's even legal?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, we checked him out this morning. We wanted to make sure everything is all set," Mouth said.

Brooke nodded. "Oh," she said in a small voice.

"Did we cover just about everything?" Rachel asked, yawning.

"Yeah, I think that's all of it," Brooke told her friend.

"Good. Are there cabins in this place? We haven't slept since last night," Rachel reminded them.

Yeah. Down that hallway," Brooke said, pointing. "Just don't use the first one on the right, because that's where the doctor is."

"OK," Rachel said, standing up. She looked at Peyton and grinned. "Your turn," she said smugly.

Mouth stood up with her and they started to walk toward the rear of the plane. "Oh! And…no sex on the jet!" Brooke told them.

"Why not?" Rachel asked.

"Because I haven't yet," Brooke explained.

Rachel laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it!" she said.

"_I_ would!" Mouth said.

"Congratulations!" Haley yelled toward them as they shut the door to their cabin.

Brooke sat down on the couch that was up against one of the sides in the plane. "So, if I do some rearranging, I think we can get your bed to fit in my room," she said.

Peyton shook her head. "Are you kidding? Five people in that apartment?" Peyton said. "No way!"

"It would be four," Brooke said.

"Rachel," Peyton reminded her.

"Oh, shit! I'm going to have to live with Rachel again?"

Peyton grinned. "Look at the bright side. At least she won't be bringing home a different guy every night," she said.

"That _is_ good news," Brooke agreed, then became immediately concerned. "But where will you stay?" she asked.

"I'm going to move back into my Dad's house," she told them.

"Boy is he going to be surprised," Haley said.

"Actually, my dad knows," Peyton informed them.

"Oh, good," Brooke said.

"So, does Jake know you came to LA?" Peyton asked.

"I'm not sure," Haley said. "Nathan knows where I am, but I don't know if he said anything to Jake."

"He didn't," Brooke said. "I had Lucas tell him to keep it to himself."

"Good," Peyton said.

Brooke sighed. "Are you going to see him?"

Peyton nodded. "Yeah. It's just a question of when."

"You're making the right choice, Peyton," Haley said.

"I know I am," Peyton said. "It's just that this right choice was a long time coming."

Haley shrugged. "He'll get over it," she said, then laughed. "He'll have to."

777

They plane landed in Tree Hill, and once everyone exited, they split into two groups. Mouth and Rachel headed for the apartment, and Brooke and Haley went with Peyton's to her father's to get her settled in. They helped her unpack, and after finding an empty box, Peyton gathered all of the things in her bedroom that belonged to Jake and tossed them into it. "There's my excuse to go see Jake," Peyton said.

"Yeah," Haley said dryly. "Because he's going to be so worried about his things once he finds out he knocked ya up."

Peyton grinned. "Dry sense of humor girl, only you could say that to me and get away with it," she said laughing. "I wonder if he's at his mom's," she changed the subject.

"Oh, I can take care of that," Brooke said, and after a quick call and a few simple questions that were designed to _not_ make her fiancé suspicious, she had Jake's location. "He _is _at his mom's," she said. "And the circus is in town, so his mom took Jenny," she said. "He's there all alone."

Peyton grinned at her. "Thanks," she said.

Brooke smiled softly at her friend and pulled her into a hug. "Good luck, buddy," she said.

Brooke and Haley left a short while later to give Peyton her much needed rest. But it didn't matter. Peyton was back in Tree Hill, and Jake was just a few blocks away. It would be a long time before she could sleep again.

777

Peyton knocked on Jake's door, and when he answered, his jaw dropped at the site of her. She was back in Tree Hill!

She thrust the box she was holding at him. "These are some of your things that I had hanging around," she told him.

He took the box that Peyton had been holding in front of herself, and it was then that he noticed her swollen belly. He was so surprised; he had to struggle not to drop the box.

"Peyton—" he said.

She shook her head to stop his words. "Before you ask, yes, it's yours," she assured him.

"Of course it is," he said, as if he hadn't doubted it for a second. And he hadn't.

"It's a boy," she said offhandedly. "And I don't _need_ you. But I think that our son will. That's why I'm here. I don't want to _see_ you, and I don't want to _talk_ to you, Jake. Not until after this baby is born. It's just gonna be too dramatic for me, and I can't handle any drama right now." She told him, her voice rising with emotion after every word. "I have to go." She turned to walk away.

Jake ran out the front door after her. "Peyton!" he said, gently taking her arm.

She slowly turned around and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"You just show up after not being here for the last six months, tell me you're having my baby, and then you expect me to just let you walk away?"

"I'm not going that far, Jake. I'm staying in Tree Hill," she told him.

"Where?" he asked doubtfully.

She debated on whether or not to tell him, but she knew that it would be petty and unfair. "My father's," she finally admitted.

"Alone?" he asked.

She nodded her head yes.

"Peyton—"

"Jake, I've been alone for the last four months. I'll be fine."

"Peyton—"

"I have to go."

"We need to talk," he said, still holding onto her.

"Please don't make me stand here and cry in front of you," she pleaded softly.

He dropped her arm as if it had burnt him, and then he watched her walk to her car and drive away. Jake was immediately overcome with guilt. Peyton was broken. He'd never seen her like that before today. And it was all his fault.

777

When Jake walked into the beach house, Nathan and Lucas were sitting on the couch playing NBA live. He walked over to the television and turned it off, then stepped over the coffee table and sat down between Luke and Nate.

"Whoa, sitting kind of close, aren't you, Jake?" Lucas asked.

"I need some friggin' girl talk," Jake said.

"How many times do we have to tell you? It's manly chat," Nathan said seriously.

"I'll get the ice cream," said Lucas, getting up and leaving the room.

"Well, Peyton's back," Jake told Nathan, a bit of panic in his voice.

"That's a good thing, right?" Nathan said. "I mean, you've been missing her like crazy. _Still_." He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"And she's due to give birth to my baby _any_ day now," he announced, as if Nathan hadn't even spoken. There was a short silence at the admission.

"LUKE!!!!!!!! " Nathan bellowed, not taking his eyes off Jake. "Forget the ice cream! Do we have any whiskey?" Nathan yelled.

"What?" Luke asked, peeking his head out from the kitchen.

Nathan turned his head to the door. "Jake knocked Peyton up," he said.

"Oh," Lucas said. "Yeah, I'll check on the whiskey."

He came back out a minute later. "We only have tequila," he said holding the half full bottle up.

Nate shrugged. "It'll do." As soon as Lucas sat down, Nathan grabbed it from him and opened it, then passed it to Jake. He took big swallow.

"I can't believe she didn't tell me," he said.

"Dude--you broke up with her," Lucas reminded him.

"So I didn't deserve to know about our son?" Jake asked angrily.

"You're having a boy?" Nathan said in awe. "Oh, you're so lucky. Sometimes I wish Mads was a boy."

Luke scoffed. "Yeah, right. You wouldn't trade that girl for the world," he said.

Nathan grinned "You're right. I wouldn't," he agreed.

"Look, all I'm saying is, if Peyton had stayed…," he trailed off.

Nathan picked up his brothers' sentence. "Her life would have been tumultuous if she'd stayed," he finished.

"Tumultuous, huh? " Jake said. "Haley?"

Nate shrugged. "Yeah. She used it the other day and I had to look it up. If she'd stayed, Peyton would have been a wreck. She probably wouldn't have had a very good pregnancy. So you can be mad at her for this if you want to. But you just remember, Jake. You've been missing her for the last three months. You want to miss her some more?"

"Four," Jake said softly, as if he'd been counting the days.

" Whatever," Nathan said dismissively. "The point is, are you gonna spend the rest of your life letting things come between you and Peyton?"

"This is a _big _thing," Jake said.

"Yeah, it's a big thing. But driving Peyton away again would be an even bigger one. Sometimes we gotta take what we can get."

"This was not fair of her to do," Jake insisted.

"Peyton came here to ask you to marry her," Lucas said softly.

Jake's head snapped up. "What?"

"The day you broke up with her? Peyton was going to _purpose_ to _you_."

"Shit!" Jake said fiercely, taking another swig off the bottle of tequila.

"That baby secret doesn't seem so big now, _does_ it?" Nathan asked smugly.


	45. Chapter 45

"She was going to ask me to marry her," Jake said, as if trying to reconcile himself to the thought. He lifted his eyes to Lucas'. "Are you kidding?" he asked uncertainly.

"Kidding?" Lucas asked. "No. Dead when Brooke finds out I told you? Yes."

Jake sighed. "I am such an ass," he said, taking a big drink of tequila

"And it only took you four months to realize it. Must be some kind of record," Nathan said laughing.

"You know. Sometimes I like the Scott humor, but today, it really sucks," Jake informed the brothers.

Lucas slapped him on the back. "Glad we could help you out, buddy."

"So, what are you gonna do?" Nathan asked.

"The thing I've wanted to do for the last seven years. I'm gonna marry Peyton Sawyer," he said confidently.

Lucas and Nathan grinned.

"But first, I need to talk her taking the biggest leap of faith she's probably ever taken," he said. He knew he'd hurt Peyton, and he could kick himself in the ass for it. The worst part was his reason for breaking up with her had been a lie. Therefore, the reason he'd missed out on this pregnancy was a lie. This was all his fault. Could things get any worse? "Do we have any more liquor?" he asked, drinking the last of the tequila.

Lucas shook his head. "That was all we had."

_Yep,_ Jake thought. _They could get worse._

777

"Wait!" Nathan said with exaggerated urgency. "Try and pretend that you're sober," he whispered loudly.

"Nate—why are you whispering?" Lucas asked.

"Because I don't want Brooke to hear me," he said.

"I haven't called her yet," Lucas told his brother.

"Oh," Nathan said in his normal tone.

"OK, you guys have to be quiet," Lucas said, hiccupping. "I'm going to call my fiancé now," he said, opening his phone. He started to dial, then closed it and sighed. "Fiancé. Isn't that a great word? Brooke is my fiancée," he said gleefully. "And know what else?" he asked.

"What?" Jake asked, hiccupping.

"Dude, she is _awesome_ in bed! The best I've ever had," he confided in his friend and brother.

"Yeah, she looks like she'd be good in bed," Jake said.

Lucas gave him a dirty look. "Don't think about Brooke naked!" he warned.

"_You _brought it up," Jake reminded him.

"Dude! Just call for the liquor!" Nathan said.

"Ok, ok, ok," Lucas said. He put a finger to his lips. "Sshhh!" he told them, then opened his phone again and dialed. "Heyyyyy, Brooke, baaa-by," he slurred when she answered the phone. He was feigning sobriety and failing miserably. "How are ya?"

"Lucas, are you drunk?" she asked furiously.

He laughed. "Maybe a wee bit," he said.

He could almost hear Brooke rolling her eyes on the other end of the phone. "Where's Laney?" she asked.

"She's with my mom," he said. "Mom took her to the circus today. Laney loves elephants," he said thoughtfully.

"Lucas Scott! I don't believe this. You're getting drunk without me?" she scolded.

"Get over here, baby, and catch up," he said.

He heard Brooke sigh. "I'm on my way," she said.

"Oh, hey! Can you get us some liquor?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, boyfriend, I can get you some liquor," she told him, hanging up the phone.

777

"Knock, knock," Brooke said, opening the front door of the beach house. Haley, Mouth, and Rachel walked in behind her. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, noticing Jake and Nathan and the overturned coffee table.

"Dude! Take it back!" Nathan yelled.

"No!" Jake yelled back.

Nathan, who had Jake in a headlock, squeezed his neck tighter. Jake reached up and pinched Nathan's hamstring has hard as he could. Nathan jumped but didn't let go.

"Shit! What the hell did you do that for?" he yelled.

"Because you won't let go!" Jake yelled back.

"You said that Jenny's prettier than Maddie!" Nathan said.

"She is! And my son is going to be handsome as hell!" he said confidently.

Haley leaned over to Brooke. "Peyton must have gone to see him," she whispered while Brooke nodded.

"So," Rachel said, sizing him up. "That's the father of Peyton's baby. Nice," she said. Of-course, her view was of his backside since Nathan had him in a headlock.

"Who was that?" Jake asked, unable to see the front door.

"_That_ was my wife," Mouth said proudly.

"Your what?" Nathan, Luke and Jake said all at the same time. Jake fell to the floor as Nathan let him go and spun around.

Mouth grinned and put his arm around Rachel's' waist as she leaned into him. "My wife," he repeated as Jake jumped back to his feet. He didn't want to give Nathan a chance to grab him again.

"Jenny _is _prettier than Maddie," he muttered.

Nathan shot him a dirty look over his shoulder. "We'll finish this later."

"You bet your ass we will," Jake agreed.

Lucas, who had been sitting on the couch, was now standing. "You didn't tell anyone you were married?" he asked Mouth.

"I'm telling you now," Mouth said.

"Well, when did you get married?"

"Last night," Mouth said. "Or was it this morning?" He looked at his wife.

She grinned at him. "This morning," she said.

He nodded. "Yeah, we got hitched in Vegas this morning," he informed them.

"Nice!" Lucas said then looked at Brooke. "Did you bring me any booze?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," she said, holding up a paper bag with a bottle of whiskey in it. "And I'll trade it for a kiss."

He grinned and pulled her to him, giving her a heated kiss. "Do you want to have sex now or later?" he whispered.

"How about both?" she whispered back.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You guys aren't going anywhere," she told them.

They both sighed and gave her dirty looks. Mouth laughed and Rachel giggled at the exchange.

"Dude, your wife is _hot," _Nathan said.

Rachel gave him a dirty look and held up her left hand, showing him her simple gold band. "As you know, I'm taken," she said huffily. "You couldn't hold a candle to my husband."

"Honey," Mouth said gently. "I think he was trying to pay you a compliment and not trying to get you into bed," he told her.

Rachel blushed lightly. "Sorry," she said. "Guys aren't usually nice to me unless they're trying to get into my pants," she told Nathan.

"Uhh…not a problem," he said, turning to Haley. "There's my girl!" he slurred.

Haley smiled weakly. "And there's…my…drunk guy," she greeted him. "How did you guys get drunk? You don't even keep liquor in the house."

"Lucas went to get some after we found out that Peyton was pregnant," he explained.

"Oh," Haley said.

"Did you guys know?" Jake asked.

Brooke shook her head. "No," she said softly. "Trust me; it was a surprise to us when we saw her, Jake."

Jake nodded then took a deep breath. He was drunk, but not as drunk as Nathan and Lucas. "How did she get out of school?" he asked.

"Jake—"

Everyone around them had dispersed, taking various seats in the living room or going into the kitchen to make themselves a drink.

"Please, Brooke. She won't talk to me."

Brooke sighed in resignation. After witnessing Jake's pain firsthand at Peyton being gone, it was hard for her to deny him the details. "She's had a hard pregnancy and was able to get a medical withdrawal," she said softly. At this news, Jakes thumb and forefinger went to the bridge of his nose and he closed his eyes, overcome with guilt. "You asked, Jake," Brooke reminded him.

"I know," he said.

"She's feeling much better now," Brooke said, trying to make him feel better.

It didn't work. "Yeah, when I can't help her anymore," Jake scoffed.

Brooke placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry that this happened to the two of you, Jake," Brooke said softly.

"Yeah, me, too," he said resignedly.

He took a deep breath, and then nodded once, looking Brooke up and down with an appraising gleam in his eyes. It made her a little bit uncomfortable. "Jake?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

"He's thinking about what you'd be like in bed," Lucas said, walking up beside her and throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"What?" Brooke shrieked.

Lucas shrugged. "But I have no idea why," he said quickly.

"Honest to Pete, what is this world coming to?" Brooke asked. "You know we're in trouble when _I'm _the mature one in the room." Lucas steered her to the chaise in the living room and they sat down together.

No one noticed when Jake grabbed the bottle of whiskey Brooke had set down by the door and grabbed his coat off the hook. He quietly slipped out of the living room.

777

After hearing the knocking, Peyton grabbed the bills off the console table to the left, and opened the front door. She went to hand the money to the pizza delivery guy, but it was Jake that was gracing her doorstep. "Hey, Peyton," he said softly.

Her eyes welled up with tears at the sight of him and he watched as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. He tentatively took a step towards her, and when she didn't move, another. When he couldn't take another step without running into her, he gathered her into his arms and pulled her to him, sighing in contentment. She grabbed the front of his shirt and began to cry. He could only tighten his hold on her.


	46. Chapter 46

_Author's Note: Sorry that this Chapter isn't very action packed, but it needed to be written in order to get the story where it needs to be! Enjoy reading it and thanks again for all of your reviews!_

Peyton pulled away from Jake and wiped at the corners of her eyes. "Jake, I—" All of a sudden an overwhelming aroma of liquor caught her attention. "Have you been drinking?" she asked angrily.

He held his hand out, his thumb and forefinger about half an inch apart. "Just a widdew bit," he said then hiccupped.

Peyton shook her head. "Unbelievable," she remarked.

Jake threw up his hands. "What?" he asked. Now he was angry. "You came back here and waltz into my life as if you've been gone a _day_. And then, you drop a bomb into my lap, and run like hell! So tell me, what am I supposed to do, Peyton? Huh? If you've got a script for this, I'd really like to read it, because I'm not really sure _how_ to react!"

Peyton swallowed nervously and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're doing a pretty good job," she said softly.

"Good!" he yelled. He sighed and then his expression softened. "Did you know when you left?" he asked quietly.

She leaned against the doorframe and nodded. "Yes," she told him honestly. "I found out the day before Lucas' Christmas Eve party."

He shook his head. "And you still left?" he asked incredulously.

"You didn't want me, Jake," she reminded him.

"Didn't _want _you? I wanted you, Peyton. I wanted you and Jenny wanted you. I just wasn't sure you wanted us."

She straightened. "What?" she asked.

Jake put his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath then let it out slowly. "I didn't want you to regret being with me, Peyton. I didn't want you to feel tied down," he finally told her.

"What?!"

He shrugged. "_That's _why I broke up with you."

"And you didn't think I could make that decision on my own?"

"I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay," he said.

"Oh, so this whole break up was you being a martyr, then, huh?" she asked.

"If you want to put it that way," he said, filled with relief. He was so glad he'd finally told Peyton the truth. He felt so much better now. But that feeling was short lived.

Peyton took a deliberate step towards him, not taking her eyes away from his. He could only stare into her eyes, the eyes he'd been missing for months. It caught him completely of guard when her hand connected with his cheek. "_That_ is for taking Jenny from me!" she said, her voice full of emotion. Before he could even react, her hand connected with his cheek once again.

"Peyton! What the hell is wrong with you?!" he exploded.

"And _that _was for taking _you _away from me!" she said.

He grinned as her words registered. "You still love me," he taunted.

She rolled her eyes.

"Nice!" they heard a voice behind Jake say. He turned around to see a high school aged kid standing there holding a pizza box. The brat had a huge grin on his face.

"Can I help you?" Jake snapped.

"Pizza delivery for…" He looked down at the slip of paper in his hand. "Sawyer," he said, looking back up grin still in place.

"That's me," Peyton said, trying to hand the kid the money. She'd forgotten she was even holding it.

He held up a hand. "Forget it," he said. "No way am I letting you pay for this. That entertainment was payment enough!"

He handed the pizza to Peyton and smiled widely. "Have a _great_ night," he said, running down the steps. Peyton watched as he pulled his cell from his pocket and hit speed dial. "Dude! You are _not _going to believe what I just saw!" they heard him say as he got back into his car.

Peyton turned her gaze back to Jake. "Good night, Jake," she said.

He grinned at her and hiccupped again. "You still love me," he repeated.

She sighed. "My feelings aren't any of your business anymore," he said.

"Not true," he disagreed. "Your feelings _are_ my business. It's not going to be long before we're married," he informed her.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Do me a favor?" she asked sweetly.

"Anything," he responded softly.

"Hold your breath until then," she said, stepping inside and shutting the door in his face.

Jake pulled the bottle of whiskey out of his breast pocket and took a big drink of it. He started heading towards home in a state of bliss. Peyton still loved him. He wasn't even sure if she knew it, but he wasn't worried. She'd realize it sooner or later.

777

"So, I met Jake," Rachel told Peyton.

"Yeah?" Peyton said.

Rachel grinned. "Actually, I met his ass first. It was nice to look at."

"It was nice to grab onto, too," Peyton said dryly.

"Peyton!" Rachel scolded.

Peyton stood up off the couch and started pacing in front of her friend. "I can't help it!" Peyton said. "Jake _does_ have a nice ass. And one of the side effects of this pregnancy is an increased sex drive. Rach—I'm horny as hell!" Peyton whined, flopping back down on the couch.

Rachel grinned. "If it's not with another guy…is it cheating?" she teased.

"Eww!" Peyton said disgusted. "I wasn't asking!"

Rachel laughed. "Not to worry. I'll never give it up for anyone but my husband again."

"Speaking of…how is Mouth McFadden in bed?" Peyton asked desperately.

"No, I am not talking about this with you!" Rachel said.

Peyton's eyes widened. "Or anyone, because you haven't slept with him yet!" she exclaimed. "Rachel, what are you guys waiting for?"

"We want it to be perfect," Rachel said softly.

Peyton sighed. "Perfect sex? Yeah, good luck with that."

"I already know it's going to be perfect," Rachel said dreamily. "Because it's going to be with Mouth."

Peyton smiled softly at her friend. "It's so great to see you like this, Rach."

"Like what?"

"Well…smitten," Peyton said.

Rachel grinned. "You know what? It's nice to be smitten," she said. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Marvin McFadden isn't like any other guy I've ever known in my whole entire life."

"If you ask me, that's a good thing," Peyton said.

"Definitely," Rachel agreed. "He…he lays everything on the line _all _the time. He says what he means, and he means what he says. It's so refreshing after all of that Los Angeles bull shit."

Peyton nodded in concurrence. "L.A. does wear on your nerves," she said.

"I haven't even told my parents yet," Rachel confessed.

"You haven't?" Peyton asked in disbelief.

"Nope. I won't let them ruin this for me. And they'll try to."

"Are you afraid they'll succeed?" Peyton asked.

"I'm afraid that my husband will _run_ after he meets his in-laws," Rachel said.

"I saw the way Mouth looked at you on that plane. He might do a lot of things, Rachel, but running away from you isn't one of them."

"You don't think so?" Rachel asked.

"I don't think so," Peyton assured her friend.

"Good," Rachel said. "Because I don't think I could live without him."

777

That Tuesday, as Brooke and Haley were walking out of the student union to get to their classes, Haley stopped at the community bulletin board and studied it.

"What are you looking for?" Brooke asked.

Haley frowned. "Possibly a new IPod," she told her friend. "_Rachel _dropped mine in the sink the other day when she was doing dishes."

"That sucks," Brooke said.

"Yeah," Haley agreed, once again looking at the bulletin board. She looked over when she heard Brooke gasp.

"What?" Haley asked concerned.

Brooke opened the glass door and pulled down a sheet of paper. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

"What are they selling?" Haley asked.

"More to the point, what do they _want_?" Brooke corrected.

"What _do_ they want?" Haley asked.

"You."

"What?" Haley asked confused.

"Listen to this!" Brooke pulled Haley to the nearest couch and pulled her down onto it with her. "Help," Brooke read. "I was in a bar off campus, and I saw a young woman onstage karaoking the song When the Stars Go Blue. I'm hitting the road with The Wreckers," Brooke's eyes lifted to Haley's and they were wide with disbelief. "And I need a duet partner," she finished up. "Haley! That's you!" Brooke exclaimed excitedly.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Brooke, it's not me," she argued.

"Yes, it is!"

"How do you know?"

Brooke pointed to some smaller print near the bottom of the page. "She was introduced as celebrating her twenty first birthday," she read.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm sure it's not me," she insisted. "It's probably just a coincidence."

"I'm calling," Brooke said, whipping out her cell phone.

"Let me know how it ends up," Haley said, walking away.

777

Nathan sighed looking at the nutrition label on a box of Fruit Roll-Ups. "Is there anything _not _filled with sugar for kid snacks?" he asked perturbed. He put the item back on the shelf.

"But Daddy, I _like_ sugar," Maddie persisted.

"I know you do, Mads, and between Haley and Grammie, you get plenty of it."

Maddie sighed and crossed her arms from her seat in the cart. "I wanted those!"

He reached down and tapped his daughter on the nose. "You'll have to settle for some fruit," he said.

Maddie rolled her eyes again, and Nathan laughed as he realized she was already adopting Haley's mannerisms.

"I can't believe Lucas bailed on grocery day!"Jake complained.

Nathan looked over his shoulder. "Are you really surprised?" he asked.

Jake growled in response.

"Daddy!" Jenny yelled from her place in the other cart that Jake was pushing.

"What, baby?" he asked, throwing some energy bars in.

"When am I going to get to see Peyton?" she asked.

"I told you that I'll call her later today and try to set something up for tonight," he reminded his daughter.

Jenny grinned excitedly. "And she lives here again, right?" she asked.

Jake looked at his daughter and sighed. He'd told her that morning that Peyton was home again, and Jenny had talked of nothing else since receiving the news. He put his arms on the cart and leaned down so his face was level with his daughters. "She lives here again," he confirmed. He was glad that Jenny was excited, and he would pretend to be happy for her sake, but he knew he had a long way to go with Peyton before everything was all-right, and he hated to think about it.

Jenny grinned and her eyes filled up with tears.

"What's the matter, baby girl?" Jake asked.

"I'm crying because I'm happy, Daddy," she said as if he were stupid for not realizing it. "Just like Peyton does."


	47. Chapter 47

"But Haley!" Brooke whined. "This is an amazing opportunity for you!" she insisted stubbornly. She was beside Haley's bed pacing furiously, once again interrupting her friends studying.

Haley looked up from her text book. "Opportunity? For what, Brooke? I've never even considered singing as a career," she reminded her friend.

"I know. But you really should. This guy wants you to try out and possibly go on _tour_ with him!"

Haley sighed and crossed her arms, leaning back against her headboard. "And what about Nathan and Maddie?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"It's only eight weeks. And wouldn't you be going to Maine to stay with your sister for the summer anyway?"

"Eight weeks is a long time, Brooke. And no. I wasn't going to go to Maine for the summer. I was going to stay here in Tree Hill."

"You were?" Brooke asked excitedly. "That means we'd all be together for the summer and you'd be here for Little Peyton's birth!"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Brooke, for the last time, Peyton is not going to name her baby Little Peyton," she said amused.

"I'm working on her!" Brooke said. She sat down beside Haley on the bed, and sighed. "Haley, just meet with the guy and listen to what he has to say."

"I'll think about it," she said to pacify her friend then looked back down at her notes. The doorbell rang and Brooke looked over her shoulder and then back at her friend.

"Did you make up your mind yet?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

Haley's eyes widened. "That's _him_, isn't it?!" she said. "You're unbelievable, Brooke!"

"So is your singing. You just don't know it," Brooke said. "Come meet him." She stood up and walked out of the room. After a few seconds, Haley sighed, and against her better judgment followed Brooke into the living room.

777

"Daddy?" Jenny asked from Jake's arms. "Do I look pretty?"

"Prettier than pretty," he assured her, walking up the front steps of Peyton's house.

"I hope Peyton is excited to see me!" his little girl exclaimed.

"She will be," he told her confidently. He cleared his throat and then rang the doorbell.

"Go away, Jake," he heard directly from the other side of the door.

"Peyton!" Jenny shrieked gleefully.

The front door flew open and Peyton smiled at Jenny. "Jenny Jagielski!" she said. "You have absolutely no idea how much I've missed you!" she said.

Jenny grinned and held out her arms to Peyton. Peyton wrapped her arms around the little girl and tried to pull her against her chest, but Jake wouldn't let go. "Jake!" Peyton said, scolding him.

"Are you sure it's OK if you hold her?" he asked, giving her rounded belly a pointed look.

"Jake, I'm not an invalid," she told him. "It's fine."

"Yes, but are you sure?" he pressed.

Peyton sighed, and with a soft yank, had Jenny in her arms. "Yes, I'm sure," she said, walking into the house. Jake stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind him, then followed them into the living room, listening to them chatter. Peyton sat down on the couch with Jenny in her arms and situated the little girl so she was facing her.

"Daddy said that you're here to stay, and that you won't be leaving again," Jenny said, looking down at her hands that were playing with the bow at the V in Peyton's maternity top.

Peyton put her finger underneath Jenny's chin and lifted it up. She kissed her on the nose. "Your Daddy is right," she told the little girl. "I'm here to stay."

Jenny threw her arms around Peyton's neck and buried her face in her shoulder, laughing. "Oh, Peyton," she said. "I'm so glad you're not going to leave again."

"Me, too," Peyton whispered.

Jake sat down next to Peyton on the couch and gave her knee a reassuring squeeze. It didn't escape his notice that she tried to shrink away from him. He sighed, frustrated. She wouldn't even meet his eyes.

Jenny pulled away, and Peyton looked her up and down. "You look beautiful. I love this pink dress," she said.

"And my Mary Janes?" Jenny asked, moving her feet so Peyton could see her shoes. "Brooke got them for me! She said every little girl should have a pair of Mary Janes."

Peyton nodded. "I _love_ the Mary Janes. Brooke did a fantastic job picking them out!"

Jenny nodded solemnly. "Me and Daddy are going out to supper tonight and we wanted you to come with us," Jenny said.

Peyton took a deep breath. "I have a better idea. How about if we have a girls sleepover tonight? You and I can go pick out a movie and go get something to make for supper together," she said to the little girl.

Jenny gave her father a questioning look. He shook his head. "It's all or nothing, Peyton," he said softly.

He saw the indecision play across her face.

"But if you come out for supper with us, Jenny can stay the night with you tonight," he said, bribing her.

She sighed. He had her right where he wanted her, and he knew it. "Fine," she said, softly.

Jenny jumped away from Peyton quickly. If her hands hadn't been looped across her back, the little girl would have fallen off her lap.

"Are you OK?" Peyton asked panicked.

Jenny nodded uncertainly. "Your belly moved," she said, looking down. For the first time, she noticed how big Peyton's belly was. "Peyton! Do you have a _baby_ in your belly?" she asked.

Peyton smiled weakly at Jenny and then looked at Jake helplessly.

He picked Jenny up and placed her in his own lap, looking down at her. Her eyes were still glued to Peyton's belly. "Peyton has a baby in her belly," Jake confirmed.

Jenny's eyes widened. "When is it going to get here?" she asked.

"In a few months," Peyton said.

Jake put a hand on his daughters' cheek and moved her face so she was looking up at him. "But this baby isn't just Peyton's," he explained to Jenny. "This baby is going to be ours, too, Jenny, because I'm Peyton's baby's daddy, just like I'm your daddy," he said. He watched his daughters face as she realized what he was saying.

"Does this mean you're going to marry Peyton, Daddy?" she asked excitedly.

"Jenny—" Peyton started, but Jake interrupted her.

"Yes," he said determinedly. He leaned his head down so his face was closer to his daughters. "Eventually. But she needs some convincing, so we really have our work cut out for us."

Jenny looked at Peyton and grinned widely, the looked up at her daddy and lifter her forehead so it was resting against his. "We can do it, Daddy," she assured him. He kissed his daughter on the cheek, and then pulled her to him, giving her a tight squeeze.

"Yes, we can, Honey," he agreed, looking over at Peyton. She was giving him an angry glare, but he didn't care. He just gave her a sexy grin and a wink then watched as she shifted uncomfortably.

777

"Laney!" Lucas yelled, chasing his naked daughter down the hallway with a towel in his hands. He finally caught up to her and wrapped the towel around her, sweeping her up in his arms. She was giggling uncontrollably. He kissed her on the neck.

"_What_ are you doing?" he asked in an amused tone.

Instead of answering, she just continued to giggle. He started walking to her bedroom, but at the sound of the doorbell, he spun around and headed down the stairs in his sock feet. He opened the front door, and Brooke was standing there. She took in the sight before her, Lucas standing there, in jeans and socks, a dark green t-shirt with wet spots on it, and Laney squirming in his arms. "Hey, Handsome," she said huskily. Brooke rarely thought Lucas was sexier than he was when he was being a daddy. She leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, but he shifted Laney to one arm, wrapping the other around Brooke, and turning his head so their lips met. He pulled her against his side, and growled at the contact.

"Daddy!" Laney said looking around. "What was that noise?"

Brooke pulled away, laughing, and pulled Laney into her own arms. She gave her a loud kiss on the lips. "How's my favorite girl today?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Laney grinned at her. "Daddy let me stay in my jammies all day long and we watched Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid today!"

"You did?" Brooke asked animatedly, walking into the room with Laney in her arms. She pushed the door shut with her elbow. "That must be why you're just now having your bath," she said.

Laney nodded excitedly. "Yes," she confirmed.

Brooke nodded and put Laney down. "Let's go get you dressed," she said.

Laney led the way to the stairs, struggling to hold onto the towel. Lucas scooped her up in his arms again so she wouldn't trip, and headed up the stairs, Brooke behind them. They walked into the bedroom that belonged to three little girls, and headed for Laney's bed, where her clothes were laid out. She sat down and started dressing Laney. She looked up at Lucas. "I have a surprise for you," she told him.

"For _me_?" Laney asked, putting her hands on her chest. Brooke laughed.

"For both of you," she clarified.

"Where is it?" Laney asked, looking around.

Brooke grinned at her. "It was too big for my car," she teased.

"Is it a pony?" Laney squealed.

"It _better_ not be a pony," Lucas warned. Although with Brooke, you just never knew.

"It's not a pony. But we have to go for a ride to see this surprise. Are you guys up for that?"

"Oh, yes!" Laney said excitedly.

"Good!" Brooke said, giving Laney a pat on the butt to let her know she was finished dressing her. "I just left Teddy in Daddy's room! I have to get him," she said, running from the room.

Lucas wrapped a hand around Brooke's wrist and pulled her to her feet. "I miss you," he said hungrily, kissing her on the neck.

"You just talked to me a few hours ago," she reminded him.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it," he said, nipping at her earlobe.

"OK, Lucas," she said breathlessly. "You have to stop before I lock Laney out of her own room!"

Lucas laughed. "I'm done," he said pulling away.

"No, you're not," she informed him. "We'll finish this later."


	48. Chapter 48

"Look…Chris, is it?" Haley asked.

He nodded and then she continued.

"I appreciate you taking the time to put all of those flyers up and look for me. But I have to be honest. I'm not interested in singing as a career."

Chris sat back in his chair and stared at Haley, making her extremely uneasy. So Haley James did what she always did when she was in an uncomfortable situation. She started to babble.

"Look—I was really drunk when you saw me sing at the bar that night. It was my 21st birthday and I was having some fun with my friends. They dared me to do a karaoke number…and I did. And, it was fun, but it was also the last time I sing in front of an audience," she told him.

"Come to the studio with me," he said firmly.

"Excuse me?" she asked surprised. She'd just told the guy she wasn't interested and he was still pressing her.

"The song that you sang? I do it live on tour every night. I think a female voice would add more emotion to the song."

"And I'm sure it would," Haley agreed. "But not my voice."

Chris stood up and threw a couple of bills on the table. They'd left the apartment to go to a coffee shop nearby. It had been Haley's idea since she was so uncomfortable being left alone in her apartment with a complete stranger. "Yes, _your_ voice. Look, I have studio time tomorrow beginning at four o'clock. But I only have it for one hour." He gave her the address. "I'm hoping to see you there."

Haley watched him walk away then leaned back in her chair and sighed.

777

"Can I get you something to drink?" the waitress asked.

Jenny looked up and grinned. "I would like chocolate milk, please," she told her.

"Good manners, babe," Jake told his daughter.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said from her side of the booth. She was sitting with Peyton while Jake was sitting across from them.

The waitress looked at Peyton. "I'll have a water with a lemon, please. And…do you have Mountain Dew?" The waitress nodded. "I'll have one of those, too, then."

"I'll have a beer," Jake told her.

The waitress disappeared to get their drinks, leaving the three of them alone again. Peyton was studying her menu when she felt Jake staring at her. She could feel herself blushing and moved her menu up in front of her face. She heard Jake laugh and sighed.

"Peyton, how come your cheeks are pink?" Jenny asked.

"Because it's hot in here. Don't you think it's hot in here?" she asked the little girl.

Jenny shook her head. "No, I think it's chilly in here," she said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You're cold?" Jake asked.

At his daughters nod, he took his jacket from beside him and stood up, covering her with it then sat back down. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I didn't realize you were cold or I would have covered you up."

"It's OK, Daddy," she said.

"Here are your drinks," the waitress said a few minutes later. "Are you ready to order?"

They placed their orders and then the waitress disappeared again. "I thought you hated soda," Jake said as Peyton opened the plastic wrapping on the pack of crayons the waitress had given Jenny.

"I usually do," she said. "But I've been craving it since I've been pregnant."

He nodded. "Any other weird cravings?"

_Sex_, she thought before she could stop herself. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and could feel her cheeks heating up again. "No," she squeaked.

She saw Jake's face fill with worry. "Peyton, are you OK?" he asked. "Your face is red again and Jenny's right, it's not hot in here."

Peyton shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I've been having hot flashes since the beginning of my last trimester," she lied. She'd been having hot flashes since she'd arrived back in Tree Hill and seen him, but she certainly wasn't going to admit _that_.

"How often do you have them?" he asked.

"Often enough," she snapped then immediately regretted it.

"Peyton," Jenny said sternly. "That wasn't a very nice tone."

Peyton cleared her throat feeling duly chastised and hesitantly met Jake's eyes. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

Jenny patted her on the arm. "Good girl," she said proudly.

Peyton grinned back down at her and kissed her on the nose.

777

Brooke pulled up the emergency break on her car and put it in first, then shut it off. "Ready?" she asked.

Lucas looked around. "Brooke, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"It's a surprise," she said, getting out of the car and getting Laney out of the back. She lifted the little girl into her arms and then shut the door with her hip.

Lucas got out and sighed. Brooke walked up beside him.

"Don't be so broody," she said, slapping him on the butt. He gave her a surprised grin, and she made a face at him then took his hand. "Come on," she said, pulling him toward the vacant house.

He groaned. "Brooke! Why are we here?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Can you just go with the moment?" she asked.

"Yeah, Daddy," Laney chimed in. "Just go with the moment!"

He gave another sigh, this one much more dramatic than the first and begrudgingly followed. She pulled a key chain with two keys on it out of her jeans pocket and unlocked the front door, snapping on the light in the foyer. "Want to see what the house looks like?" she asked, putting Laney down.

"Oh, yes!" Laney said, running off to explore.

"What is this?" Lucas asked.

"It's my parents' new house," she told him.

"Oh," he said. "Well, let's take a look." She showed him around the huge house which consisted of twelve rooms and then they walked out the front door, Brooke locking it behind them, Laney in Luke's arms. He started heading for the car.

"Wait!" she said. Lucas turned around with a puzzled look on his face. "There's more to see," she told him. She headed for the garage and he followed her in. She kept walking to a staircase along the left side of the building and Lucas followed her up. When she opened the door, she turned the light on, and Lucas was surprised to see that there were already a few items of furniture in there.

He looked at his fiancé. "Brooke?" he asked hesitantly. "What's going on?"

Brooke grinned at Lucas and then turned to Laney. "Laney, go check out that room," she told the little girl, pointing to the first door in the hallway. She turned back to Lucas.

"What _is_ this?" he asked again.

"Don't be mad," she told him.

"At what?" he asked.

"So, I told my mom about our fight," she said uneasily.

"What fight?" he asked.

"The one we had about when to get married," she reminded him.

"OK," he said uncertainly.

"And she agreed with me," she said.

"I'm not surprised," he told her. His mother probably would have agreed with him, too. Or maybe not.

Brooke nodded. "She thinks that we'd have enough to worry about without adding rent and utilities and all of that other stuff into the mix," she said.

Lucas sighed. "I get it, Brooke," he said, his anger rising.

She shook her head. "I don't think you do," she disagreed.

He gave her a puzzled look.

"So my mom thought that it would be a good idea if we lived here. Rent free," she told him quickly.

"What?"

"As payment."

"Payment for what?" he asked.

"We would have to keep an eye on the house while they were away on business trips. Which is pretty much all the time," Brooke told him with a shrug. "But there's another catch."

"What's that?"

"We can't live here together unless we're married."

"Your mom actually said that?" he asked incredulously.

Brooke shook her head. "No. I said that. _I_ want us to be married, Lucas."

"But what about all the reasons that you thought we shouldn't?" he asked.

"I didn't want to move too fast," she said. "But, we've done everything there is to do besides moving in together. I want to be your wife, Lucas. I want to be Brooke Scott. And I want to be Laney's mother. I want to…bake cookies for her daycare." He gave her a dry look. "Or buy them, whatever." She took a step closer to him and he put his arms around her waist. "I want to be there when you're giving her a bath so we can do it together. I want it _all_, Lucas. And I want it with you," she said softly.

He let go of her waist and lifted his hands to her face, then closed the gap between them with a single step and bent his head to hers. "And I want to give it all to you," he said before his lips came down onto hers. There was nothing heated about the kiss, it was filled with a sweetness that neither one of them had ever felt before. Brooke brought her arms up to rest on his chest and sighed contentedly. They were still kissing when they heard little footsteps run into the room.

"Daddy!" Laney screeched.

Lucas pulled away, laughing. "What, Blue?" he asked his daughter, who looked like she was ready to bounce off the walls.

"Come see this room!" she yelled, running back down the hallway.

He looked down at Brooke, who was grinning. "What did you do?" he asked suspiciously.

She wrapped an arm around his waist and looked up at him. "Come see," she told him as they started walking down the hallway. When they reached the room, Lucas froze in his tracks at the sight before him.

Laney was jumping on a canopied bed that was in the room. She stopped when she saw Lucas and Brooke. "It's _purple_," she said out of breath.

"I see that," Lucas said softly, taking in the soft lavender colored walls and the darker purple comforter set and canopied bed. "You did this?" he asked.

Brooke bit her lower lip and nodded.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I didn't think it was possible, but…I love you even more for loving my daughter so much."

"_Our_ daughter," she corrected him, lifting up onto her tiptoes to kiss his jaw.

"_Our_ daughter," he agreed, giving her waist a gentle squeeze.


	49. Chapter 49

_Author's Note: Just so you know, I'll be changing the rating for this story to M based on a scene that took place in an earlier chapter between Brooke and Lucas. I didn't realized I'd only rated it as T, and I think it should definitely be raised._

_Also--thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews! I love to read them! They make my days!_

Nathan jumped as there was a knock on the door and he lifted his head to look at the clock above the sink. It was nearly midnight. He put his glass in the sink. Who would be coming to the beach house at midnight? Brooke and Lucas were upstairs sleeping and Jake was fast asleep in his room, too. Nathan walked over to the door, flipped the outside light on then pulled the curtain back to see outside. He opened the door with a sleepy grin. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I was driving by and I saw the kitchen light come on," she said softly.

He took her by the hand and took a step back pulling her with him, then shut the door. "Is everything OK?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah," she said hesitantly.

"Haley," he said knowingly.

"Let's sit," she said, moving to the table.

"I don't like this already," he told her, sitting down across from her begrudgingly. "What's going on?"

Haley took a deep breath. "I had coffee with another guy tonight," she told him. She watched as his jaw started to tick.

"Who was he?" he asked curtly.

"It was nothing romantic," she said quickly. "He's a singer, actually. He tours with The Wreckers."

"With the who?"

"The Wreckers," she said again. "Anyway, remember last semester when Brooke and Peyton took me out for my 21st birthday?"

"Yes," he said.

"He was in the audience. He liked the song so much, that after that night, he started to play it in his show."

Nathan sat there looking at her expectantly.

Haley cleared her throat. "He thinks that he needs another vocalist on the song. _Me_, actually. He wants me to audition for a spot on the tour." Now it was her turn to study Nathan's face. There was a pause for a minute as he looked away. "Nathan?" she finally said softly.

"Are you going to leave us?" he asked quietly.

"No!" she said firmly, getting up and moving to his side of the table. He stood to his feet and she walked until she was right up against him. She put her cheek on his chest and lifted her arms around his waist giving him a gentle squeeze. "I'm not going to leave you," she said, giving him more reassurance.

He looked down into her eyes imploringly. "Don't leave us, Haley," he said gruffly, returning her squeeze with one of his own.

She pulled back and lifted her lips to his, giving him a gentle kiss. He lifted his hands to her shoulders and clutched them forcefully as if he were depending on her to keep him standing. He deepened the kiss and she stood up on her tiptoes, pressing her body against his. He abruptly pulled away. "Don't leave us, Haley," he said again.

"I won't leave you," she promised him. Haley wasn't sure why, but she didn't tell him about the studio time that Chris had reserved for the next afternoon.

777

"You did _what_?" Lucas asked crossly.

Brooke narrowed her gaze at him, but since it was midnight and the only light in the room was from the moon, he couldn't see it. "What's wrong with what I did?" she asked.

"Are you _trying_ to break her and Nathan up?"

"No!" Brooke exclaimed. Now she was angry. She sat up in bed and reached over, turning the lamp on.

Lucas lifted his arms to cover his eyes. "Geez, Brooke! Warn a guy!" he scolded her.

"You wanna tell me what's got your boxers in a bunch?" she asked.

He pulled his arm away from his face and groaned. "Forget it," he said.

"No. We played this game once and ended up in a huge argument. You almost asked for you ring back, remember?" she reminded him.

He rolled his eyes. "I did _not_ almost ask for my ring back except in your imagination, Brooke," he told her.

"This is a chance for her to go on a national tour, Lucas," she said, returning to their original subject.

He sat up and put his pillow behind his back, then leaned against it. "Without Nathan and Maddie," he stated.

Brooke shrugged. "What's the difference between Haley going on a national tour or to her sisters for the summer?" she asked.

"About a thousand guys in the audience," he said dryly.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "She only has eyes for your brother, Broody. She's not interested in the guys in the audience," she assured him. "It doesn't matter where she goes. She's gonna be away."

Lucas sighed. "You don't know what it was like, Brooke," he said earnestly.

"What _what_ was like?" she asked.

"Nathan. After Lauren left."

"Who is Lauren?" she asked.

"Maddie's birth mother," he told her.

Brooke looked at him, her eyes urging him to continue.

"She told him that she was going to leave as soon as she had the baby. And that she wasn't going to take Maddie with her. She didn't want her."

"She didn't?" Brooke asked.

Lucas shook his head. "She never even held her, Brooke. Nathan said he doesn't even remember her _looking_ at Maddie after she was born."

"That's _awful_," Brooke whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah, well, unfortunately, in Tree Hill, it's not all that uncommon for parents to not want their children," he said bitterly. "In _my_ case, it was my father."

"I'm sorry," Brooke said softly, moving closer to Lucas. She laid her head against his chest and a hand on his taut stomach. "I didn't realize how much it still bothered you. You seem to get along so well now."

"We do. And after seeing him with Laney, I've forgiven him, Brooke. But I will never forget the way he made me feel for years. He wouldn't even acknowledge me as his son."

She sighed and started absently running her finger along his chest. "I can't even imagine what it was like for you, Lucas."

"No, you can't," he said matter-of-factly. "Nathan didn't think she would really leave. None of us did. How could a mother just leave her child like that?"

"Well she knew that Maddie had Nathan," Brooke said confidently.

"She was her _mother_, Brooke. And Nathan was a seventeen year old boy scared to death."

"And you think her mother wasn't?" Brooke asked.

"Why are you playing devil's advocate?" Lucas asked.

"I'm just trying to make sense of this," Brooke told him honestly. "It's hard to imagine a mother just leaving her child."

"Well she did and there is no sense of this. Believe me, I've looked for it, and there's just none to be found," he assured her.

"Lucas, Haley's not like Lauren," Brooke told him softly. "Just like I'm nothing like Sara."

"She will be if she leaves."

Brooke sat up and looked at him. "Even if she does decide to go, Lucas, it's _only_ for a few months."

"My _concer__n—_is that it's at all," he said. "I don't know if Nathan could take it, Brooke. I know it'd be hard on _him_, but Maddie would be devastated, too. And even if Haley came back, I'm not sure if Nathan would forgive her."

"Don't you think that's unfair?" she asked.

Lucas shrugged. "It's par for the course when you're dating a man with a kid," he told her. "You can't just come and go as you please. It's a steady commitment. Could you leave Laney and me?"

"_We_are engaged, Lucas. It's different. They're just dating."

"Do you really believe that?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure Nathan does."

Brooke sighed. "Lucas, we could go around and around this all night. But honestly, their relationship is none of our business."

Lucas took a deep breath. "He's my brother, Brooke."

"I know," she said softly. "But he's a grown up, Lucas. You can't protect him. And I don't think he'd want you to think you have to."

"I worry about him."

Brooke leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "And I love you even more for it," she said, then leaned over and turned the lamp off, cuddling against Lucas once again.

777

Peyton awoke to Jenny beside her in bed sobbing. She frantically turned the lamp on, and then looked over at the little girl. Her eyes were still closed but there were tears running down her cheeks. Peyton pulled Jenny to her and held her close against her chest. "Sshh," she said, rocking the little girl. "It's OK, JJ," she whispered. She kissed her on the forehead and noticed her eyes were now opened. "What's the matter, Jenny?"

Jenny choked on a sob and then let out a wail. "I want my Daddy!" she said, her voice breaking. Tears were running steadily down her cheeks now.

"It's OK, Jenny," Peyton reassured her.

But Jenny continued to cry. Peyton held her and rocked her until the hysteria had finally subsided. "I really need my Daddy, Peyton," she whispered.

"I'll call him for you, Honey," she said, grabbing the receiver off her night stand. She quickly dialed Jake's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Jake said huskily on the fifth ring.

"Jake? It's Peyton," she said.

"Peyton? Are you OK? Is our baby OK?" he asked quickly. "Is Jenny OK?" He was clearly panicked.

"Yeah," Peyton told him. "We're all fine. Jenny just had a nightmare and she's asking for you. She's already close to falling back asleep," she said. "You don't have to—"

"I'm on my way," he said. Peyton heard the sound of his phone shutting and put hers back in its cradle with a deep breath. She wrapped Jenny in a blanket and stood up, carrying her down the stairs. She unlocked the front door, then went into the living room and lay down on the couch on her side with Jenny lying next to her. She wrapped the blanket around them and shut her eyes.

Then next thing Peyton knew, she heard Jake whispering her name, his hand shaking her shoulder gently. "Peyton?"

Her eyelids fluttered open and Jake was in a crouching position next to the couch. "Is everything OK?" he asked. Peyton nodded and Jenny let out a single sob in her sleep. "That must have been _some_ nightmare," he said softly, standing up and lifting his sleeping daughter into his arms. He looked down at her as she opened her eyes. They immediately closed again.

"I'm so glad you came, Daddy," she said tiredly, letting out a yawn.

He kissed her on the forehead. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away, Baby Girl," he whispered.

Jenny giggled sleepily. "Daddy, will you sing to me?" she asked.

He laughed. "I'll sing to you," he said.

Peyton sat up slowly and Jake sat down on the opposite end of the couch. He started to sing a few bars of a song to Jenny, and Peyton heard her sigh contentedly, lifting her arms up to her daddy's neck. It suddenly dawned on her that not only was she going to miss out on all of the moments _they_ should have had together, but over the course of their lifetimes, she was also going to miss out on Jake being a father to their son. She wasn't sure which was harder to take. Her heart was breaking for Jenny's scare from her dream, but she wouldn't have missed this moment between father and daughter for anything.


	50. Chapter 50

"OK, we're here!" Brooke exclaimed breathlessly as she and Haley ran into Peyton's fathers' house the next afternoon. "What's going on? Is baby boy Peyton OK?" she asked, placing a hand on her friends' belly. Haley walked in behind Brooke and gave Peyton a weak smile.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Brooke—for the last time, I am not naming my son Peyton," she said seriously as she shut the door behind them.

"Whatever," Brooke said, deciding that this was a topic for another time. "What's the emergency?"

Peyton took a deep breath. "The thing is, I need something," she said desperately.

"Well what is it?" Brooke asked sympathetically. "Haley and I will get it for you."

Peyton shook her head. "You can't," she assured Brooke.

"Yes, we can and we will!" Brooke said with conviction.

"Sex! OK! I need sex! I'm kind of…horny," she explained, her eyes widening as if she were challenging her friends to make fun of her.

Brooke cleared her throat and grabbed Haley's elbow, thrusting her in front of herself as if she were a shield. "Take Haley!" she said quickly. "She's a virgin. She'll never even know the difference!"

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed indignantly. She turned to Peyton. "I'm saving myself for marriage," she said in a teasing tone.

Peyton's eyes took on a pleading gleam. "I'm not kidding. What the hell am I going to do?" she asked, running a hand through her hair.

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean _who_?" she asked dryly.

"Not funny, B. Davis."

"Not joking, P. Sawyer."

Haley cleared her throat. "OK, when it comes to sex, it's clear that _I _am going to have to be the voice of reason."

Both sets of eyes flew to her.

"You can both glare all you want, but what's truth is truth." She turned to Brooke. "_You_ can't even fit all of your former…conquests into a Yukon! Or even_ two_ Yukons for that matter!" Then she turned to Peyton. "And you're having a surprise baby. Do you guys _really_ want to argue about this?"

"OK! Go!" Peyton said impatiently.

"You have two options here," Haley began, holding up the index and middle finger of her left hand.

"Oh, two? Good because I can't even think of _one_!"

"First of all, there's always the classic way to go—and that's with a good 'Brooke-ing,'" she said in a tone of reason.

"Always a good choice," Brooke said appreciatively while nodding her head.

"Number two—and I know you're going to hate this, but I'm sure Jake wouldn't say no to you, Peyton," Haley said quickly, waiting for her friends' tirade.

Peyton's jaw dropped. "Jake? What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Lots of things, really," Haley said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But we won't get into that. Peyton—it's not like you're going to let anyone else touch you while you're pregnant."

Peyton sighed. "Thanks for the ideas," she said, biting her lower lip.

They all stood there for a minute. "Well?" Brooke finally said.

Peyton cleared her throat. "You guys should probably leave," she said quickly.

Brooke smiled knowingly. She gave her friend a pat on the back. "Lotsa luck, P. Sawyer."

"What…like I forgot how to do it?" she asked defensively.

"So, how's the moodiness?" Haley teased.

"Right up there with the horniness," Peyton admitted as her friends left. She closed the door behind them and grabbed her phone.

"So, I'll see you back at the apartment?" Brooke said to Haley as they walked down the front steps.

Haley looked at her watch. "Actually, I…have to meet some friends from class. We have a test coming up, and I want to be prepared," she said, not meeting her friends' eyes. Luckily, Brooke didn't notice.

"OK. Well, good luck," she said, heading for her own car.

"Thanks," Haley said, feeling a wave of guilt coming on.

777

"Let's get one thing straight," Haley said in a business like manner as she walked through the entrance of the building. She slung her book bag down onto the floor of the studio. "I'm not here to try out for your tour. I'm only here because I wasn't sure if anyone else was going to show up, and after you went through all that trouble to find me, I thought I could at least add my vocals to a demo and you could see if you really do want another voice on the song."

Chris looked at her with a grin on his face. "Ramble much?" he asked with humor in his voice. "Did you even take a _breath_?"

Haley shook her head to move her hair out of her eyes. "Look, I can't stay for very long. My roommate is expecting me," she lied.

"What's going on with you, Haley?"

"I…do you even know me enough to ask me that?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Chris shrugged a shoulder. "_You_ tell me."

"You _don't_," Haley told him. "Can we please just do this?"

"Sure. We'll get started after you tell me why you're really here."

"I _told_ you," she said firmly.

"You can go," he said abruptly, turning back to the sheet music he had been looking at when she walked in.

"What? I show up here as a favor to you—"

"Well, don't…do me any favors, Haley," he said. He lifted his hand and gestured to the door. "Like I said—you can go."

"Why?"

"I don't work with liars," he said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not a liar," Haley said.

"Tell me why you're really here or walk back out the door, Haley."

Haley stood there for a minute looking at him then sighed. She started to bite the inside of her cheek nervously. "I'm not sure why I'm here," she finally admitted.

Chris returned her stare for a minute before he finally spoke. "At least it's an honest answer," he said, but it was clear he didn't like it. "Let's get started."

777

"Ok, so here's the thing," Peyton told Jake as she slung open the door. His hand was poised to knock. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the house. "One of the joys of pregnancy is that my hormones are raging, and Jake, I'm horny as hell. I need sex!"

Jake stood there for a minute stunned then his face broke into a knowing grin. "And you need it with me?" he inquired.

"I just need it!" she said in a shrill voice.

"With me," he stated, his grin getting wider.

"I _just_ need it!" she said even more frantically than before.

"Well, Peyton, I can't turn it on and off just like that," he told her.

"Of course you can!" she argued.

"No, I can't," he said firmly.

Peyton shrugged, regaining her composure. "Fine. I'll find someone who can," she bluffed walking away.

Jake's hand captured her wrist. "Or maybe I can," he said, kicking the door shut with the heel of his foot and pulling her to him at the same time. He lifted his hands to her face and his lips came crashing down onto hers, no trace of tenderness. Only a fierce need that told her exactly how long he'd been waiting for it. But she already knew, because she'd been waiting just as long. Her mouth opened instantly and his tongue plunged inside, his hands lifting to her hair and grabbing onto it as if to hold her in place. She battled for control of the kiss, but it was no use. It had been too long since she'd been with him, and she finally decided that she didn't care if he was in control, as long as it didn't stop.

Jake pulled his lips from hers and moved them to her neck, placing a trail of kisses all the way down to her left shoulder. She tilted her head to the side, doing what she could to make it easier for him. "Here's the thing," Peyton said breathily between his hot kisses. She started unbuttoning his shirt. "I don't want any foreplay."

"Oh, there's going to _be_ foreplay," Jake promised.

"And I don't want any words," Peyton said, pushing his shirt down over his shoulders.

"There might be some words," Jake said, refusing to give in to her demands.

She pushed him away and met his eyes. She swallowed uncertainly. "And _Jake_, this doesn't mean anything," she told him, unbuttoning his jeans.

"To _you_," he said softly, pulling away again. He gently placed his hands on hers to gain her attention. "It doesn't mean anything to you. But I speak for me. And it will mean something to me, Peyton."

She ignored his comment. "You leave when we're done," she said, lowering his zipper.

"Cuddling," he amended. "I'll leave when we're done cuddling." Jake pushed his pants down to his ankles and stepped out of them.

"Whatever. Let's do this," she huskily, pulling her shirt over her head. Jake's eyes filled with emotion at the sight of her swollen belly.

"Not now, Jake," Peyton said firmly.

He reached forward, and put a hand on her belly, his mouth finding hers once again, kissing her with every ounce of fierceness his body possessed. She was _his_. And in that moment, he vowed that soon—she'd know it, too. He didn't ever want another man's hands on her body.


	51. Chapter 51

Haley slung Brooke's bedroom door open and stormed in. Her friend was sitting cross legged on her bed studying and didn't even look up from her textbook when Haley flopped herself down onto the opposite side with a sigh. Haley waited a minute or so, and when Brooke still didn't look up, she sighed again, this time more dramatically.

Brooke looked up. "So, how was studying?" she asked in a tone of voice that let Haley know she was bothered.

"I wasn't studying," Haley confessed to her friend.

Brooke smiled calculatingly. "A hot make out session with the other Scott brother?" she asked conspiratorially.

Haley shook her head. "Not exactly."

"Did you guys have a fight?"

"What? No, Brooke, we didn't have a fight. I wasn't _with_ Nathan."

Brooke pursed her lips. "Who _were_ you with?" she inquired.

Haley sighed. "Chris."

Brooke nodded slowly. "Why did you lie to me?" she asked softly.

Haley covered her eyes with a hand. "Oh, I don't know!" she said. "Because I don't want anyone to misconstrue things and think that I want to go on tour with him."

"Do you?" Brooke asked pointedly.

Haley lifted herself up onto her elbows. "No," she said firmly. "I don't."

Brooke shrugged. "Then why the lie?"

"I just told you," Haley said frustrated.

Brooke closed her textbook and put it on the floor. "Did you lie to Nathan, too?"

"No. Nathan doesn't even know that I was going to see Chris. I didn't tell him," she told Brooke, then looked away.

Brooke tilted her head to the side and studied Haley's face. "A lie of omission is still a lie, Haley James. It's just a lie with a fancy name." When Haley didn't say anything, Brooke continued. "I thought _you_ were the voice of reason for today," she reminded her friend.

"Only about sex," Haley said with a pout. "I've reached my reasonable quota for the day. I'm passing the torch on to you."

Brooke laughed. "Lord help you if that's true," she said in a teasing tone.

Haley laughed and then sighed. "Why didn't I tell Nathan, Brooke?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. All of my instincts are pointing to guilt. Do you feel guilty about something?"

"I don't think so," Haley said evasively.

"Haley," Brooke said knowingly.

Haley looked at her friend, as if she were deciding whether or not she could trust her. _This is silly,_ Haley thought. _Of course I can trust Brooke._ "Truth time?"

Brooke nodded. "Truth time," she confirmed.

"I'm not interested in going on tour. I mean—I've put off public speaking until this year because I could hardly stand the thought of it. And just as I suspected, I could barely get up in front of the class to give my speeches." There was a short pause. "And I don't think I could be away from Nathan and Maddie for that long."

"So don't go on tour."

"But part of me wonders, if I could get past that, if I could conquer this fear of getting up in front of people, then how amazing would it be to get up on that stage and sing my heart out?"

Brooke nodded. "Do you think you could do that?"

Haley laughed. "Not even in a million years. But I _do_ feel guilty."

"Why?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Because I feel like my main reason for wanting to stay should be for Nathan. And for Maddie."

"Well, can't it be for both? I mean—who says it can only be for one of those reasons?"

Haley shrugged.

"If you ask me, you're feeling guilty for nothing. Well, except about the whole meeting with Chris and not telling Nathan thing. That was definitely not your smartest move ever." Brooke nudged her. "But it's not too late to tell him," she said to her friend.

Haley sighed and stood up. "Tomorrow," she said. "I'll tell him tomorrow." She sighed again. "I have to go study. Thanks for the chat, Brooke."

Brooke smiled at her friend. "You're welcome."

777

"There's something I want to tell you," Jake said softly.

Peyton sighed. "No! No pillow talk, Jake. It's time for you to go." She rolled out of bed and grabbed her robe, quickly pulling it on and tying it around her waist.

"But I'm not done cuddling," he said seductively.

"Then you'll have to cuddle…with _yourself_," she told him, leaving the room.

Peyton walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed the teakettle off the stove and filled it with water, then put it back and turned the burner on. She was looking through the cupboards for her decaffeinated tea when she heard the front door open.

"Where's my favorite daughter?" she heard her father say from the front door.

She spun around, her eyes widening. "Daddy?" she said, with a hint of panic in her voice.

Larry Sawyer was so excited to see his daughter that he didn't even notice. He followed her voice into the kitchen and walked up to her, enveloping her in a crushing hug. "How's my baby?" he asked her.

"I'm fine, Daddy," she said breathlessly as he let go of her and pulled away. Her eyes quickly darted to the door of the kitchen making sure Jake was nowhere to be found.

Her father placed a hand on her belly. "And how's my baby's baby?" he asked.

"Oh, he's fine, too," she said hastily.

Larry looked into his daughters face. "God, Peyton, you're absolutely glowing. I don't think I've ever seen you look so beautiful," he told her.

_Of course you haven't,_ she thought. _Because you never seen me right after I've had sex!_ Peyton could feel her cheeks pinkening and started for the door. "Well, I—"

"Peyton," her father interrupted her. "You are not leaving this room. I haven't seen you in months! Tell me about California."

"Well, it was—"

Peyton heard Jake's footsteps on the stairs followed by his bellowing voice. "Peyton Sawyer! If you think I'm going to just let you use me for sex, you are sorely mistaken!"

Peyton's cheeks were no longer pink. They turned ten shades of red just as Jake walked into the kitchen in her other bathrobe, pink satin with a white frilly collar. Jake cleared his throat and tightened the belt on the robe. "Oh, hello, Larry."

Larry lifted an eyebrow at him. "You can call me Mr. Sawyer, Jake," he said with an amused gleam in his eyes.

Jake nodded at him. "Mr. Sawyer," he said nervously.

"Trying to knock my daughter up again, Jake?" Larry asked dryly.

Jake grinned lopsidedly. "You can call me Mr. Jagielski," he joked.

Peyton's eyes widened and flew to Jake. She gave her head a single imperceptible shake back and forth.

"Not funny, Jake," Larry said.

"No, it wasn't," he admitted.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I wanted to take my baby girl here out to eat since you drove her away and I haven't seen her for months, so why don't you join us?" he asked.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Jake said.

"I think it is," Larry said firmly.

"OK," Jake quickly agreed, willing to do anything to get himself back on Peyton's fathers' good side. He had a feeling it was going to be a long road.

"So, why don't you two go shower? Separately, of course, and I'll just get my things unpacked," he said, leaving the room.

Neither Jake nor Peyton said a word as they heard her father ascend the stairs. When they finally heard his bedroom door close, Jake finally spoke.

"I am so sorry," Jake said urgently. "I had no idea your father had come home!"

He heard Peyton start to breathe heavily.

"Peyton, you OK?" he asked.

Her breathing increased, and Jake was getting nervous. "Peyton?" he said again.

"Getting caught was _hot_!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Jake asked, his voice rising.

"You heard me," she said, taking slow, deliberate steps towards him.

He looked from side to side, as if plotting looking for an escape route. "Peyton!" he said in a scolding voice.

"Oh, come on," she said. "You know it was hot."

He gave in and grinned. "It was a little hot," he admitted.

She took another step closer and he held up his hands.

"No!" he said, shaking his head. "No way! Your father is _still_ pissed at me for breaking his little girls' heart."

Peyton shrugged. "So am I. But I ended up in bed with you," she reminded him, wrapping her arms around his waist and rubbing herself up against him.

He growled, then leaned down and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. A minute later, he pulled away. "No," he said raggedly. "Your father would _kill_ me."

Peyton shrugged. "Your loss," she said, exiting the room. Sighing, Jake followed her.

777

Lucas sighed. "Damn! That's five in a row I've lost!" he said, throwing his controller down onto the coffee table. He grabbed his bottle of beer off the couch and sat back, taking a big drink.

Nathan grinned and put his paddle down, too. He sat back. "I can't believe this semester is almost over," he said.

"Forget about that! I still can't believe Jake knocked Peyton up," Lucas said.

Nathan laughed. "Fate is _really_ weird."

"Fate?" Lucas asked skeptically.

Nathan shrugged. "Yeah, fate. Don't you think that Peyton and Jake are meant to be together?"

"At one time, I thought Peyton and _I _were meant to be together," he admitted with a grin.

Nathan laughed. "We've all been there," he said sarcastically.

Luke nodded. "So, there's something I want to ask you," he said carefully.

"What's that?" Nathan asked, taking a drink of his own beer.

"Brooke and I talked, and we're moving the wedding up to this summer. Actually, it's gonna be a week after our last final so she'll have enough time to put on the finished touches and junk like that."

Nathan laughed. "And junk like that? Don't let _her_ hear you say that," he warned.

Luke grinned. "Right," he agreed. "Anyway…I want you to be my best man, Nate."

Nathan cleared his throat, overcome with feeling. There had been a time when he and his brother had been enemies, but those days were long gone. Lucas wasn't just Nathan's brother anymore, he was his best friend. "I'd be honored, man," he said sincerely, trying to sound masculine despite the emotions whirling about him.

"Thanks, little brother," was all Lucas said.


	52. Chapter 52

_Author's Note: Hey, all. This chapter is short, and I'm sorry for that. I wanted to add some more, but I just haven't had the time and I figured I'd give you it as is instead of leaving you with nothing. I haven't been sure where I was going to take this story, but after much deliberation, I have some new idea__s__ and I can't wait to get them on paper (or computer) and posted! The next few chapters are going to be a set up for what's to come! Enjoy!_

Haley put her pencil in her book bag then zipped it. With a sigh, she stood up from her desk and walked her test to the front of the room. "Have a good weekend, Haley," her professor said with a smile.

"Thanks. You, too," she returned. She quietly opened the door and let herself out of the classroom. "Hey!" she said when she saw Nathan sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the hallway with an open book in his lap.

He grinned at her, put his book away, and stood up. "Hey, yourself," he said. He walked over and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I didn't see you yesterday," he said. "You didn't even call. I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she told him as they started walking down the hallway.

"I thought I'd take you out for coffee."

"That sounds great."

They had just sat down for coffee when Haley's cell phone rang. She picked it up, looked at the caller ID, and hit the silent button.

"Who was that?" Nathan asked.

"It was Chris," she admitted.

"They guy who wanted you to audition for a spot on his tour?" he asked.

Haley nodded.

"You told him that you didn't want to go, right?"

"Yeah," she said quickly.

Nathan frowned. "Then why is he still calling?"

"I'm not sure, since I didn't answer," she teased. She took a deep breath. "I went to the studio last night to meet with him."

"To audition?"

"No!" Haley said emphatically. "I felt bad that he put all of that effort into finding me for nothing. So I went to put my voice on a track for him. So he could decide if he really does want another voice on the song he's talking about."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

Haley shrugged. "I didn't think it was a big deal," she said quietly.

Nathan stared at her for a minute. "Haley?" he finally said.

She looked up. "Yeah?"

"If it wasn't a big deal, then why won't you look into my eyes?"

"I am looking into your eyes," she said defending herself.

"You are _now_, but you weren't when you answered my question." He took a small sip of his coffee then sat back in his chair and studied her face. "Is there a part of you that wants to do this?" he asked.

Haley bit her lower lip then nodded.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

She sighed. "Because it doesn't matter if I want to do it or not. I could never get up in front of all of those people and sing."

"What if you could?"

"I _can't_," she said flatly.

"But what if you could?" he pressed.

"Then it's something I'd do," she told him. She saw the worry that filled his face and reached across the table for his hand. "I can't get over my stage fright," she assured him. "It's just…not going to happen. And…I don't even think I could be away from you or Maddie for that long, anyway. It's _twelve_ weeks, Nathan. What would I do without you for _twelve_ weeks?"

Nathan gave her a reassuring smile, but it wasn't at all reflective of what was going on in his mind. Nathan had a sinking feeling that from here on out, things were never going to be the same. "Promise me something, Haley," he said.

"Anything," she told him.

"If you change your mind—"

"I won't!"

"If you change your mind," he continued, "you'll let me know as soon as you do."

"I promise. But you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going to change my mind," she said assertively.

777

"And then, he proceeded to ask Jake when he was going to make an honest woman out of me!" Peyton told them in exasperation. She and Haley were sitting on the couch in her living room, and Brooke and Rachel were sitting on the floor.

Haley, Brooke, and Rachel all broke into fits of laughter. "Ya gotta love Larry," Brooke said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Rachel's eyes sparkled. "Is he a DILF?" she teased.

Brooke nodded seriously. "Oh, yeah! He's definitely on my fantasy dad list."

"Eeeww!" Peyton said, taking the pillow from her lap and throwing it at Brooke. She caught it and laughed even harder.

"What was the expression on Jake's face?" Brooke asked. "He must have been mortified!"

"Oh, no," Peyton told them. "It was the start of a male bonding session. After Jake told my dad that he'd be working on me until I gave in, I think they forgot I was there. They're like…best buds now."

"You're kidding!" Rachel said. "My dad would kill any guy who dared knock me up!"

"Oh, not Larry Sawyer," Peyton said. "He gave Jake a key to the house and made him promise to check on me every day while he's away."

"Well, the guy _did_ miss you, Peyton," Haley defended him. "It drove him crazy that you were gone."

"He _drove_ me away," she reminded her friends.

The three of them rolled their eyes. "New subject," Brooke said, clapping her hands excitedly. "So, I talked to my mom the other night. And she had some really great ideas for the wedding."

"That's great, Brooke. I'm so glad you guys are getting along."

Brooke nodded enthusiastically. "Lucas and I discussed it this morning and we're going to have the wedding in California," she announced.

"What?!" her three friends asked in unison.

"That's where most of my family is," Brooke told them. "And my grandparents have a hard time getting around, so if I want them to be there, I have to have it back home. But don't worry. My dad is going to fly all of you out on his jet," she told them.

Rachel sighed. "I loved that jet," she said wistfully.

"Rachel Gattina! You had sex on that jet, didn't you?" Brooke accused.

"No!" Rachel said. "I told you we wouldn't, and we didn't."

Brooke stared at her, looking for any sign of dishonesty. "I guess I'll just have to watch the cabin cam to find out," she said smugly.

"Ewww! There are cameras in the cabins, Brooke?" Haley said disgustedly.

"No," Brooke admitted. "I was just trying to get Rachel to cave."

"Well, Rachel can't cave if Rachel didn't do anything wrong," Rachel said in a singsong voice. "Speaking of which, are you inviting my parents to the wedding?" she asked with a grimace.

"Of course I am!"

Rachel sighed. "Then better tell them I'm married before then," she said.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You _still_ haven't told them? You're twenty one years old, for crying out loud."

"You don't know her parents," Brooke said, defending her friend. "They are going to be angry! They are like, tops on the social ladder in Los Angeles. They probably wanted to throw Princess Rachel a lavish ceremony that cost close to a mil," Brooke said.

"Seriously?" Haley asked.

"Seriously," Brooke and Peyton said at the same time.

"But Mouth certainly isn't the type of groom that they had in mind for me," Rachel said quietly.

"What? The kind who _loves_ you?" Haley asked sarcastically.

"Love and marriage don't go hand in hand in my parents' world, Haley," Rachel explained. "It's all about climbing the social ladder. And Mouth is going to do nothing to advance my social status in L.A."

"So, what? No man is ever going to love you as much as Mouth McFadden does," Haley said indignantly.

"And that's why I love him. But my parents won't take that into consideration," she told Haley.

Haley's phone began to ring, and she looked at the caller ID, rolled her eyes, and once again, hit the silence button.

"Who was that?" Peyton asked.

"Chris," Haley said in frustration. "He's been calling me all day trying to talk me into going on tour with him."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I'm beginning to wish I'd never seen that stupid flyer," she said.

"Me, too," Haley agreed.

"Well are you gonna go?" Rachel asked.

"No!" Haley and Brooke said at the same time.

"It's a great opportunity, Haley," Peyton told her.

"Not interested," Haley said, looking away. And she was determined to keep telling herself that.


	53. Chapter 53

Haley came out of the dressing room with a scowl on her face. As soon as Brooke, Peyton, and Rachel saw her, they burst into laughter. She lifted up the puffy skirt. "I do _not_ want to wear a dress that makes me look like a strawberry frosted cupcake!" she complained.

"That one definitely looked better on the rack," Brooke said between giggles. "Go take that thing off!" she commanded.

When Haley came back out in her jeans and a t shirt, Brooke stood up, the other girls following suit. "Let's get out of here. I've had all I can take for today," she said.

"You think _you_ have? I just tried on sixteen different bridesmaid's dresses and you didn't like a single one of them!" Haley said.

"It's all in the name of love, Haley," Peyton said, putting an arm around her friend as they exited the bridal shop. "I could go for a cup of coffee," she said changing the subject.

The other girls nodded in agreement, and they made their way down the street to Karen's Café. As soon as they sat down, a waitress made her way over to the table. "Do you need menus or do you know what you want?" she asked cheerfully.

"We're just going to have coffee," Brooke told the young woman.

"Oh, and I'll have a grilled cheese with bacon. And…is there any way that you could put pickles on that?"

"Sure," the waitress said, writing down the request. "Anything else?"

"No, thanks," Haley said.

"Oh, yeah!" Peyton said. "I'd love a huge slice of that chocolate cake I saw on the counter when I walked in. The one with the peanut butter frosting," she said.

The waitress nodded. "Coming right up."

Peyton looked up to find her friends' eyes on her.

"What? I have to feed Jake's son," she said, defending herself.

Haley laughed. "He must be a house," she said in a teasing tone.

"I don't know about _him_, but I know I certainly am!" she said, giving her belly a rub. "I can't wait to get him out of me!" she said.

"I can't _wait_ for you to go into labor!" Brooke said.

"Gee, thanks," Peyton said dryly. "You only have a few more weeks to wait, Brooke."

"Well, I can't wait to put these Lamaze classes to use," she explained. "I am so glad you asked me to be your coach!"

"Me, too," Peyton agreed. At first she'd felt guilty about asking Brooke to be her Lamaze partner instead of Jake, but after he'd begun bonding with her father and inched his way further into her life, Peyton decided that it was every man for himself. Or herself.

"So," Rachel said as the waitress put four cups of coffee—decaffeinated for Peyton—in front of them. "I finally informed the folks that I got married," she told them.

Brooke wrinkled her nose. "What did they say?"

Rachel shrugged then cleared her throat. "We're disappointed in you, Rachel. We thought you were more considerate than that. We thought we _raised_ you better than that," she said in a deep, mocking voice. "Can you even believe that?" she asked in a high pitched voice. "As if they raised me at all! I have my nanny to thank for that!"

Brooke nodded understandingly. "It's OK, buddy," she said softly.

"No, it's not!" Rachel disagreed. "I've always struggled to gain my parents approval, and now I've gone and gotten married without even telling them. I'll never get it now!" she said.

"Are you sorry you married Mouth?" Peyton asked.

"No," Rachel said with certainty. "I know it was fast, and I know we should have waited, but I know a good thing when I see it. In this case, a _great_ thing. And I was not about to let Mouth McFadden get away. I just wish I'd told them _first_. Now they can hold this over my head forever."

"Who cares?" Haley said. "You're a grown up, now, Rachel. A _wife_, even. If they don't approve of your husband or your life, what does it matter as long as you're happy?"

Rachel sighed. "It just does," she said sadly. "It always has."

Brooke put an arm around her friend. "You'll get through this, Rachel. I know it's scary right now, but once they finally meet Mouth, the worst is over. You're still worried about their reactions."

"I know," Rachel said, leaning her head on Brooke's shoulder. "I have to stop worrying about them and just focus on myself and my husband," she said.

The other three girls nodded in agreement.

"Now, let's change the subject!" she said. "I want to talk about something happy! Haley—how're things with you and Nathan?"

777

Later that afternoon, Haley was sitting at a table in the library all alone studying. She was stressed to the max. For starters, her phone hadn't stopped ringing since she'd met Chris Keller. She was beginning to regret even putting her voice on that track for him. And finals were in one week. This semester sure had flown. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she forced herself to look back down at her notes. Someone sat down across from her, and she was surprised when she looked up and saw Chris sitting there. "Chris. What are you doing here?" she asked anxiously.

"You haven't answered any of my calls," he stated.

"You should've taken the hint," she said abruptly, then looked back down at her text book.

He reached over and closed it.

Her eyes flew to his. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, liking him less with each passing second.

"I have a proposition for you," he told her, not bothering to whisper. Someone from another table shushed them.

She studied his face for a minute. "I already told you that I'm not interested in touring," she said unwaveringly. To prove her point, she lifted her chin defiantly.

"It's not about the tour, Haley," he said. "How would you like to make an obscene amount of money for one days work?" he asked.

"I'm listening," she said.

"Let's go into one of the conference rooms where I can actually talk in a normal tone," he said, standing up.

Haley sighed, then collected her books and stood up, following Chris to a room off of the main part of the first floor. He shut the door behind them then placed a manila folder on the table. "I signed with Spotlight Records," he told her.

"That's great, Chris," she told him.

"Yeah, I know," he said dismissively. "Here's the thing. They loved our duet." He stood there watching her for a reaction. She didn't give him one.

"So, you got a record contract. What does that have to do with me?" she asked apprehensively.

"I just told you. They loved our duet. They want you on the record, Haley."

"What?" Haley said, too stunned to provide any other reaction.

"Yeah," Chris said. "And all they want is your voice."

"I wouldn't have to tour?" she asked.

Chris shook his head.

"But, I don't understand. How can I just do this without any kind of a contract?" she asked.

Chris flipped open the manila folder. "All you'd have to do is sign this. It's the terms of agreement. It's really easy to read, only one page. It's not in any fancy vocabulary or anything. Just straight English. Want to take a look?" he asked, holding out the piece of paper to her.

She nodded and took it. When she saw the amount of money they were going to pay her, she lifted her eyes to Chris'. "_This _is what they want to pay me?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded.

"I wouldn't have to work at all next year," she whispered. She'd already signed up for classes for next semester, and she was taking a heavy load. She'd wondered how she was going to be able to work to pay for expenses _and_ have time to study. This was like an answer to her prayers. She looked down and continued to read. Just like Chris had told her, it was pretty cut and dry. It stated that for use of her voice, she'd be compensated and that she was under no contractual obligation to tour or promote the single or album. Haley sighed and nodded her head. "I'll do it," she said, pulling a pen out of her bag. She quickly signed the paper and handed it back to him.

"That's great, Haley," Chris said with a grin. "And I really think you should reconsider joining the tour. Michelle really likes your sound. And it's not a ton of money, but it'd give you some more to put away for school next year," he said, trying to convince her in any way that he could.

Haley shook her head. "I'm not interested," she said. "I have a life here in Tree Hill," she told him. Her desire to go on tour had lessened more as each day passed. All she wanted was to stay in town and be with Nathan and Maddie this summer. They'd become such a big part of her life over the past year that being away from them was unimaginable. "I have a boyfriend and…he has a daughter. I love them," she said softly. "And leaving them is out of the question," she said with conviction.

Chris nodded. "I hope everything works out for you, Haley," he said. She couldn't help but think what an odd comment that was coming from him.

"Thanks," she said.

He nodded. "I'll be in touch about when I need you. The studio will fly you to New York when it's time to record."

"Great. Thanks again, Chris," she said.

"You're welcome," he said on his way out of the room.

777

_"You do know that she's going to leave you, right?" she asked._

_Nathan's eyes widened as he recognized the woman standing before him. He hadn't even seen here there a minute ago. It was like she'd just appeared. "Lauren!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" he asked frantically._

_She grinned at him and crossed her arms. "You knew I'd be back one day. Maddie __**is**__my daughter, Nathan," she reminded him._

_"No, she's not," he said __vehemently. "She's my daughter. You signed the papers. You walked out on her, remember?"_

_She grinned again, wickedly this time. "You mean like Haley's going to walk out on you?" she asked._

_"No! Haley would never walk out on us. She's not like you, Lauren!"_

_Lauren rolled her eyes. "You were always so quick to trust, Nathan," she told him. "That's why it was so easy for me to pull the wool over your eyes. All I had to do was pretend to be everything you'd ever wanted, and you ate it right up."_

_"I was young," Nathan said._

_"You still are," she told him._

_"But I'm not as naïve as I was then," he shot back._

_"Aren't you?"_

_"No!"_

_She shrugged. "Whatever you say, Nathan."_

_All of a sudden, Maddie was in her arms. "Maddie!" he exclaimed._

_"I'm leaving you, Daddy," she said. "I want to go with Mommy."_

_"Maddie, no!" he yelled as Lauren took a step backwards. Nathan tried to step forward, but his legs were frozen. He looked down in panic._

_"You heard her, Nathan. She's leaving you. Just like Haley's going to."_

_Nathan looked back up. "No!" he yelled again._

_Lauren nodded, except suddenly, it wasn't Lauren at all. It was Haley standing there with Maddie in her arms. "We're leaving you, Nathan," she said. "We're leaving __you__," she said again._

_"Haley?"_

_She nodded._

_"No!"_

_She turned and started walking away. Again, he tried to go after her, but he couldn't. Then, Maddie was in __**his**__ arms and they were watching Haley walk away. _

_"I'll tell Chris you said hi," she said over her shoulder._

_"Haley! No!" he yelled._

_Maddie started sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. "Haley!" she yelled after her. The devastation in her voice broke his heart. He should have known better than to let Maddie get attached to that. Suddenly, a bell started ringing and he looked around._

Nathan sat up, his shirt soaked with sweat and his breath ragged. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked at the clock on the DVD player. It was five o'clock in the evening. He'd fallen asleep on the couch studying for finals. The sound of the doorbell ringing jumped him, and he realized it was the same sound from his dream. It must have been what woke him up. He stood up and made his way over to the door. When he opened it, his first thought was that this punk had way too many shades of color in his hair for a man. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"I'm looking for Nathan Scott," the guy said.

"I'm Nathan Scott," he said skeptically.

The guy stuck out his hand. "Chris Keller," he said.

Nathan didn't hold out his hand, only looked at Chris' until he let it fall. "What can I do for you?" he asked shortly.

"For starters, you can stop trying to ruin Haley's life," he said harshly.

"Excuse me?" Nathan asked in disbelief. Ten seconds and he already knew that this guy was a creep. What the hell did Haley see in him?

"You're ruining her life," Chris told him. "She _wants_ to go on this tour."

"Did she tell you that?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah," Chris said. "But she's not gonna go. She's going to stay for you and your kid."

"Hey—me and my kid are none of your business," Nathan said angrily.

"That's where you're wrong. I have Haley's best interests at heart, but I have to wonder about you."

Nathan laughed in disbelief. "You've known Haley for what? A day? I've spent the last year with her."

"So you think she owes it to you to stay?" Chris asked.

"I didn't say that," Nathan said.

"Haley's got talent. I know it, and you know it. But the question is what are you going to do about it? Do you love her enough to let her do this?"

Nathan's temper flared and he had all he could do to reign it in. "Get the hell of my property!" he said, slamming the door shut in Chris' face. He started pacing back and forth in the living room, trying to work off his anger. Who in the hell did this guy think he was?


	54. Chapter 54

Peyton grinned as she looked at the caller ID on her cell phone and flipped it open. "Hello?" she said in a happy voice.

"Hey! How are you?" Bevin asked.

Peyton laughed. "I'm really good. How are you doing?" she asked. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling OK," Bevin said. "How's L.A. treating you?"

"Uhhh…I'm not in Los Angeles anymore. I came back to Tree Hill," she told her friend.

"No kidding?" Bevin asked.

"No kidding," Peyton confirmed.

"Then maybe you could come visit me," Bevin said excitedly.

"I don't know," Peyton said. "I can't sit for long periods of time, and three hours in a car is out of the question. I'd have to stop twelve times to pee," she said laughing.

"Well, how about coming to 23 Maple Lane and paying me a visit?"

"You're back in Tree Hill, too!"

"I am," Bevin told her.

"Are you visiting your parents?"

"No. We actually moved here," she announced.

"Oh, my God! That's so exciting," Peyton exclaimed, but then a thought occurred to her. "But what about school?"

"Skills transferred to THU for next year. It's his last year, anyway, so we figured why not? This way, our parents will be here if we need any help with the baby," she said. "And he has a really good chance of walking onto the basketball team, so we couldn't find a downside to it. It just made sense."

"I can't wait to see you, Bevin," she said.

"Then why don't you come over right now?"

"23 Maple Lane?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I'm on my way," she said, shutting her phone and grabbing her car keys.

777

"So, Chris came by to see Nathan the other night," Lucas said as he started walking Brooke to her next class.

Brooke wrinkled her nose. "Why?' she asked.

"To try and talk Nathan into telling Haley to go on the tour," he told her.

"Wow. He must really want her on that tour," she said.

"Brooke, you really opened a can of worms here," Lucas said heatedly.

"Lucas—I was trying to help my friend out. There were no _worms_ involved!" she defended herself. Now she was angry, too.

"She might go, Brooke, and if she does, it will destroy Nathan. Not to mention Maddie," he said.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Now who's got the flare for melodrama?" she asked sarcastically. "Lucas—it's only for the summer, and to be honest, I don't even think that Haley wants to go. She wants to stay in Tree Hill."

"Is that what she said?"

"Yes," Brooke said softly. "But you can't keep blaming me for seeing that flyer. I didn't know what was going to happen. And—what if things were the other way around?" Brooke asked.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, as they exited the building and started heading across campus.

"If Mr. Knick called Nathan, you can't tell me—

"Mr. Who?" Lucas asked confused.

"Mr. Knick."

"Who is that?"

Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes. "The owner of the New York Knicks," she explained.

"Uhhh…OK."

"If he called, you can't tell me that you wouldn't have Nathan on a plane to New York immediately."

"Nathan's been dreaming about basketball his whole life. Haley's been dreaming about singing for what…a week?" he asked.

Brooke gave him a stern look. "Let Nathan take care of himself, Lucas," she said.

Lucas sighed. "I'm not sure I can do that, Brooke."

"Why not?"

"Because _someone_ has to look out for Nathan. _Someone_ has to be there when Haley walks away and he falls apart."

"_**If."**_

_****_"What?"

"I said _if_. _If_ Haley leaves. Don't send her packing just yet," Brooke said. "She loves him more than you think she does, Lucas."

"I hope that's true," he said softly.

"It is," Brooke told him. "Now let's change the subject. And promise each other that this is the last time we're going to argue about it."

"Brooke!" he moaned.

She stopped short and grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop with her. "Promise me, Broody," she commanded. "Our wedding is in just a few weeks. I don't want to be arguing the whole time we're getting ready for it."

"Fine. I promise," Lucas said.

"Good!" She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now get to your own class and leave me alone," she teased, starting to walk away.

He grabbed her bag and pulled her backwards to him, and before she knew it, he had her in his arms. "But you're just so damn hot!" he said huskily.

"Lucas!" she said laughing. She looked at the people walking by. They had to walk around them to get to their buildings. "Let me go," she said half-heartedly.

"Give me a hot kiss," he told her.

"I'll give you something even better tonight if you let me go now!" she said in a singsong voice.

He immediately let go of her. "Oh, baby, you play this game so well," he said appreciatively.

She grinned at him. "So well that we _both _get to win," she teased.

"Well, I can't wait to _win_ tonight," he said, walking away. "Bye, Babe."

777

Bevin grinned when she opened the door and saw Peyton standing there. "Hey!" she said cheerfully, pulling Peyton in for a hug. "It's so good to see you," she said.

"You had the baby?" Peyton exclaimed, noticing that her friends belly wasn't enlarged anymore.

Bevin nodded. "Want to see her?" she asked.

"You had a girl?" she said excitedly.

"We had a girl," Bevin confirmed, leading Peyton up a set of stairs. They walked into a nursery with light yellow walls and border about halfway up the walls with little teddy bears resting on clouds. The room was full of white baby furniture. Bevin made her way over to the crib and looked down at her daughter, beaming. "Isn't she gorgeous?" she asked.

Peyton looked down at the sleeping baby's light brown skin and long eyelashes. She was so tiny. "She's beautiful!" she whispered, her eyes filling with tears at the sight. She absently rubbed her belly. The sight of the little girl made her even more anxious to meet her son.

"We certainly think so," Bevin said, lifting her out of the crib. "Let's go downstairs into the living room," she said, leaving the room. Peyton followed her back down the stairs and into the living room.

"Your place is gorgeous," she said, looking around.

"Thanks," Bevin said, sitting down on the couch.

Peyton sat down beside her.

"Do you want to hold her?" Bevin asked.

Peyton bit her lip nervously and nodded. With the exception of Jenny, she'd never been around babies before. And Jenny had been almost a year old when Peyton met her. She cradled her arms as Bevin gently handed her the baby. "What's her name?" Peyton asked quietly.

Bevin grinned in amusement. "First of all, I feel like I should tell you that Skills named her," she said.

Peyton laughed. "OK," she said.

"Her name is Raven," she said.

"What's wrong with Raven?" she asked, looking down at the baby. "It fits her perfectly."

"Skills said it's an homage to the good old days," she said laughing.

Peyton laughed, too. "So you named your baby after his high school basketball team?" she asked.

"Yeah," Bevin said.

"Oh, dammitt!" Peyton said.

"What?" Bevin asked, looking worriedly down at her daughter.

Peyton grinned. "That's what I wanted to name my son," she teased.

Bevin laughed and gave Peyton a light whack on the arm. "Thanks a lot," she said.

"I really do like it," Peyton said. And she did. It seemed somehow fitting for the little girl.

"So, when did you have her?" she asked.

"She's two weeks old," Bevin said. "I went into labor during one of my finals."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope," she said. "I called Skills and he was outside of the classroom before I'd even waddled to the door."

"That sounds like Skills," she said. "How come your finals were so early?" she asked.

"Oh, they wanted to do some construction on the school and when they figured out how much time it was going to take, they needed to gain a few weeks somewhere, so they ended the semester early."

"Lucky you," she said.

"Yeah, it would have sucked otherwise. I would have spent that whole semester studying my butt off and then not have been able to take my finals," she said, just as the baby started crying.

Peyton looked down at her. She'd never even opened her eyes, just started crying.

Bevin looked at the clock. "It's feeding time. I'll be right back. I'm going to go get her a bottle," she said, leaving the room.

"You're…going to leave me alone with her?" Peyton asked fretfully.

"Relax, Peyton. She doesn't bite. And even if she did, she doesn't have any teeth," Bevin teased. Then she disappeared into the kitchen.

Bevin came back a few minutes later, and the baby was still crying. Peyton had gone from a calm adult to a nervous wreck in a short amount of time. When Bevin reached for her daughter, Peyton practically thrust her into her arms. The baby immediately stopped crying and Bevin settled her in her lap and placed the bottle in her mouth. "See?" she said with a smile. "She was just hungry. Now, let's get down to business. So, how did Jake take the news of being a dad again?" she asked.

"Oh, he seems to be fine with it. Except now, he wants to be a husband, too."

Bevin's eyes widened. "Well, I don't see a ring on your finger," she said.

"I'm not marrying Jake," she said firmly.

"Why not?" Bevin asked.

"Because he only wants to marry me because I'm pregnant," she said.

Bevin rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. That guy has been in love with you since he was _fifteen_ years old, Peyton. He shouldn't have pushed you away, and he knows that now."

"So…what? I should just forgive him and marry him?" she asked.

Bevin sighed. "I just don't think you should rule it out," she advised her friend."Marriage…it's even more wonderful than I ever imagined, Peyton. Of-course, I have Skills, and he's absolutely amazing, so that definitely helped. But…Peyton I couldn't be a mom alone. I need my husband by my side for this. Every part of it. And what's more, is that I _want_ him there. I don't want us to miss a thing. Not with Raven, and not with each other," she said, looking down at he daughter.

Peyton was glad she looked away, because tears suddenly filled her eyes, too. She wanted exactly what Bevin had just described, and at one point, she'd even wanted it with Jake. Would they ever get there again, or was it too late? she wondered.

Bevin looked up and grinned.

"What?" Peyton asked.

Bevin laughed. "I can't believe you thought you were three weeks pregnant and it was actually two months!" she said.

Peyton laughed, too. "Hey, I was a pregnancy novice," she said.

"Hey!" they both heard from the kitchen. Then, "Where are my girls?"

"We're in here, Baby," Bevin yelled back.

Skills appeared in the doorway. "Hey, Peyt," he said in a friendly voice. He walked over and leaned down, giving her a hug. "You look beautiful," Skills said.

"Thanks," Peyton said softly.

"There you are," he said, turning to Bevin. He went over to give his wife a kiss, then leaned down and kissed his daughter on her forehead. "How're my girls?" he asked, straightening up.

Bevin grinned up at him. "We're fine," she assured him. "Just having a visit with Peyton. How're things at the factory?" she asked.

Skills made a face. "Bad enough that I'll never complain about a final again," he said.

"You always know how to find the silver lining, Baby," she said in a teasing tone. She stood up. "You take the baby. I'm going to make you lunch," she said.

"You don't have to do that," he told her.

"I want to," she said.

He grinned and took the baby. "OK," he said, sitting down with his daughter. Bevin quickly left the room to make her husbands lunch.

"Isn't my daughter gorgeous?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"She sure is," Peyton said wistfully. She was happy for her friends, she really was. But all she could think about was how much she wanted what they had.

777

"She was really tired, so I let her lay down for just a little bit. If she's not up in a half an hour, wake her up. If you don't, she'll never go to sleep tonight," Lucas told Brooke.

Brooke laughed. "Luke, it's not my first time with her. Now, go! Or you're going to be late. You don't want to miss the last team meeting of the year. Or Coach Kimball will kick your ass, and I don't want it broken for our wedding," she teased. She gave him a light peck on the lips. "Have fun and I'll see you in a few hours," she said, shoving him out the door and shutting it behind him.

She pulled out a text book so she could get in a little studying time before she had to wake Laney up and put her notes in order by chapter. After putting Post Its in the pages she wanted to pay special attention to, she looked at the clock and realized it was time to wake Laney up. She put her books away and went upstairs.

She flipped the light on and went over to Laney's bedside. The first thing she noticed was that the hair around Laney's face was wet. She put a hand on the little girls' forehead and she was burning up. "Laney?" she said fretfully. When the little girl didn't respond, Brooke said it again, louder this time. "Laney?" Panic was kicking in now. She let out a little whimper and Brooke left the room, running down the stairs. She called Lucas' cell phone, but it went straight to voicemail. He must have turned it off for the meeting. Coach Kimball forbade all of his players to have their phones on when he was in the middle of a conference. She dialed Karen's cell and she answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Karen, it's Brooke," she said quickly.

"Is everything OK?" Karen asked concernedly. Brooke sounded scared.

"No," she said, tears in her voice. "Lucas is at a team meeting and his phone is off. I just came upstairs to wake Laney up, and she's burning up, Karen. I tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't. All she did was whimper. I don't know what to do," she said.

"OK, listen to me, Brooke. First of all, check the medicine cabinet for a thermometer," she instructed.

"OK," Brooke said, leaving Laney's side again to check for the thermometer. "It's here," she said, grabbing it and rushing back to the girls' bedroom.

"Do you know how to use it?" Karen asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Brooke said.

"Good. Tell me what Laney's temperature is," she said.

"Laney, honey, can you open up?" Brooke asked. She did, and Brooke put the thermometer beneath her tongue and waited until she heard it beep. She pulled it back out and looked at it. "It's 105 degrees," she said miserably.

"Brooke, you need to bring her to the emergency room," Karen said.

"But I—"

"Brooke, you _need_ to get her to the emergency room," Karen repeated. "I'm going to hang up now and call Keith so he can go and get Lucas, OK?"

"OK," Brooke said.

"Everything is going to be fine, Brooke," Karen reassured her. "And listen—if they ask you any questions, just tell them that you're her mother, OK? That way they'll let you go in with her."

"OK," Brooke said again.

"OK. I'll see you in a little bit," Karen said, hanging up.

777

When Brooke got to the ER, Karen had already called to let them know she was bringing Laney in, so they were immediately brought to a room and Laney was examined upon arrival. The first thing the doctor said was that she was dehydrated, so they got an IV in her. She didn't fight at all just lay there limply while they put it in. Brooke was becoming increasingly worried. She couldn't wait for Lucas to get there. Brooke sat by Laney's side, fidgeting, while the doctor examined her.

"She's going to be fine," the doctor said when he was done. "She just has an ear infection, and her body is reacting to it this way. We're going to give her some Tylenol to try and bring her fever down, and the IV should take care of her dehydration. She must not have been eating or drinking much today?" the doctor asked.

Brooke shrugged. "I'm not sure. She was with her father all day. He should be here anytime," she said nervously, looking at the door to the room, hoping he'd walk in right then.

"OK," the doctor said. "A nurse will be in to give her the Tylenol, and I'll be in again in a little while to take another look at her," he said. "You just stay by her side so you'll be here when she wakes up. She'll probably be scared when she wakes up in a strange room," he said.

Brooke nodded, and then the doctor left the room. She stood up and walked over to the bed, looking down at Laney. Her color was already returning, she noticed thankfully. The sight of Laney laying there in the big hospital bed was her undoing, and she felt her eyes fill up with tears. She let them fall, one after the other and reached down, taking the little girls hand in her own. With her other hand, she wiped at her eyes, sobbing all the while. The door to the room opened and Brooke turned around to see Lucas standing there. She walked over to him and threw herself at his chest. "I talked to the doctor. She's gonna be fine, Brooke," he assured her. "You did a great job getting her here," he said, stroking her hair.

She took a step back and looked up into his eyes. Lucas had never seen her look so devastated before. "Brooke?" he said softly.

"I can't…I can't do this, Lucas," she whispered.

"Oh, baby. Can't do what?" he asked.

"I thought I was ready, but I'm not," she said.

"Brooke, what are you talking about?" he asked confused.

She lifted her left hand and looked at it, then removed her engagement ring. "I'm so sorry, Lucas. But I'm not ready to be a mother," she said, putting the ring in his hand. He looked down at it in disbelief, then back up at her. "I'm so sorry," she said brokenly. She turned around and fled the room.


	55. Chapter 55

"Is she still sleeping?" Karen asked her son as he walked into the kitchen.

Lucas had just put Laney down in his old bedroom and she was still fast asleep. He nodded as he yawned, then rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It was three in the morning and they'd just gotten home from the emergency room. Laney's temperature was back to normal, and aside from being exhausted and having double ear infections, she was going to be fine. They'd given him a prescription for an antibiotic that he'd get filled first thing in the morning. "Are _you_ OK?" she asked knowingly, taking a sip of the hot chocolate she was holding. She sat down at the table and looked up at her son.

She saw his eyes fill with tears, then shake his head. "No, Mom. I'm not OK," he said.

Karen smiled sadly at her son. "She's just scared, Lucas. That's _all_," Karen said firmly.

"So scared she that she doesn't want to marry me?" he asked, sitting down across from his mother. She pushed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him and he picked it up then took a long swallow. It burned going down, but he was too devastated to care.

"She was overwhelmed. You should have heard her when she called me. She was scared to death, Lucas," Karen said, defending Brooke. "Give her a little time."

Lucas shook his head. "Time is the one thing I can't give her, Mom," he said desperately. He lifted his pain filled eyes to hers. "What if she decides it's too much?" He sighed. "Maybe I was just fooling myself thinking it was going to work out."

Karen laughed. "Are you kidding?" she asked.

Lucas' eyes widened at his mothers' reaction. He was miserable and she was sitting there amused.

"That girl loves you. And she loves Laney. I think you just need to give her a few days to think about things. She was just scared, and she'll _realize_ that. But she'll be back."

"What if she _doesn't_ come back, Mom?" he asked.

Karen lifted her chin and looked her son square in the eyes. "Then you get ready to do some chasing," she advised.

"You're not mad at her?" Lucas asked.

Karen smiled at her son. "How could I be mad at her? I've seen the way she looks at you, and I've seen how she is with Laney. I've seen how _you_ look at _her_." She reached over and placed her hand on her sons. "It's hard to be mad at someone who makes you so happy," she teased.

Lucas grinned at his mother. "Two days," he said determinedly. "And if she's not back by then, I'm going after her."

777

Two days later, Haley rolled over in her bed and stretched. And hit Brooke square on the cheek. She let out a surprised squeal, but her friend didn't even stir. Haley sighed as she looked at her. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, just like they had been for the past two days. The first night it had been hard for Haley, Rachel, and Peyton to understand a word she'd said through her sobs, but from the words they'd been able to piece together, they'd surmised that she and Lucas had broken up. One day and four pints of ice cream later, they'd finally gotten the full story.

Haley quietly got out of bed and headed for the shower. Rachel was just coming out of the bathroom as she was going in. "Hey," she said.

"Hey."

"Mouth and I are going to stay at his parents' house tonight because they're going out of town and they want us to keep an eye on his brother and sister. Are you going to be here?" she asked.

Haley shook her head. "I'm staying at Nathan's tonight," she told her friend. "I haven't seen him for three days. Maybe Peyton can stay with her. I'm going to see her this afternoon, so I'll ask her then."

Rachel nodded. "Good idea," she said, heading back to her room.

Haley turned the water on steaming hot, and then shed her clothes and got into the shower. She was massaging the shampoo into her scalp when she heard her friend.

"I have today all planned out," Brooke said. "First, we can go out to lunch at that little bistro down on the shore, and then we can—"

Haley stuck her sudsy head out of the shower and saw her friend leaning up against the wall. "I'm really sorry, honey, but I have to meet with my study group today. I have a huge final on Monday, and this morning is the only time we could all get together. Then Peyton and I are taking Jenny and Maddie to see Alvin and the Chipmunks," she informed her friend.

"Oh. OK," Brooke said in a small voice.

"No," Haley said quickly. "You know what? I can't cancel with Maddie because I promised her I'd take her today, but I'm going to call my study group and tell them I can't make it."

Brooke shook her head. "No, you won't, Haley. You _have_ to study. I want you to do well on your finals, even if it means you have to desert me to study," she said gloomily. "And I have some studying of my own I could do today, too," she added, closing the curtain.

"I'm sorry," Haley said again.

"It's OK," Brooke said.

"Hey! Do you want me to call Lucas and see if we can bring Laney with us?" she asked with forced enthusiasm for her friend. "We could all go."

Brooke shook her head. "No," she said sadly. Laney wasn't hers anymore.

"Brooke, you really should—"

"No," Brooke said firmly.

Haley peeked out from behind the shower curtain again. "You don't even know what I was going to say," she said.

Brooke shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I don't want to do _any_thing," she said. "I'm going to take a nap." She pushed herself away from the wall.

"You just got up," Haley argued.

"I'm still tired," she said, leaving the room.

Haley sighed at her friends' departure. She knew Brooke was devastated, and she felt bad that there wasn't anything that she could do to help her.

777

"Thanks so much for letting me take her for the afternoon, Deb," Haley said to Nathan's mom.

Deb smiled. "It's no problem, Haley. In fact, I think she might like you more than she likes me," she teased.

"Never," Haley said.

Deb laughed then bent down to her granddaughters' level. "You have fun with Haley today, OK?" she told Maddie.

"I will, Grammie," she said. "Me and Haley always have fun together!"

"Good," Deb said. She leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Be a good girl."

"OK. Bye, Grammie!"Maddie said, taking Haley's hand and pulling her towards the front door.

777

"So, Jake let you take Jenny without any hassle, huh?" Haley asked.

"Oh, there's always a hassle," Peyton said dryly. She looked up as Jenny and Maddie were climbing up the tower in the play room at the fast food restaurant. They were trying to pass some time before they had to leave for the movie theater. "I have to go out for supper with him tomorrow night."

"Oooh," Haley teased. "Alone?"

Peyton shook her head. "Jenny always comes along."

"That must be a relief," Haley said.

"Yeah, it is," Peyton said hesitantly.

"What's wrong, Peyton?"

Peyton shrugged. "I just wonder if it's too late for us," she said quietly.

"For you and Jake?" Haley asked.

Her friend nodded.

"Definitely not," she said. "He loves you, Peyton."

"He hasn't said anything about getting back together lately," she said.

"Peyton, please. The guy is forcing you to go out with him in exchange for time with his daughter. He's doing everything short of putting a gun to your head and forcing you to say 'I do,' to prove to you that he still wants you," Haley said with a laugh.

Peyton sighed. "It's not that I don't love him," she said. "It's just hard to trust him again, you know? I mean, what if he pushes me away again?"

Haley laughed again. "I don't think you need to worry about that," she said. "I think he'd glue you to his hip if you'd let him."

Peyton grinned. "Here's hoping," she said.

777

Brooke picked up another handful of popcorn and put it in her mouth just as the doorbell rang. She sighed and stood up. She quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes—she'd been watching A Walk to Remember and it was near the end. She walked to the door, and not bothering to look through the peephole, pulled it open. She stood there for a minute in shock. "Lucas. What are you doing here?" she asked in a choked voice, her eyes filling with fresh tears. He was holding a pillow and had a gym bag with him.

She looked so forlorn that it took every ounce of strength he had not to pull her into his arms and give her a bone crushing hug, but Lucas managed to stop himself. He stepped into the apartment, and for the first time, Brooke noticed that Laney was with him. She walked in right behind her father with a smile on her face. "Hi, Brookie," she said cheerfully. "We're here for a sleepover!" she announced.

Brookes' eyes flew to Lucas. "What?" she asked.

Lucas shrugged. "We stay at my place all the time. I figured we'd do your place tonight."

"Lucas—we broke up," she reminded him.

"We hit a rough patch," he argued.

She sighed. "What are you doing here?" she asked in frustration.

He grinned down at his daughter. "Tell her, Blue," he said.

Laney grinned back at him then looked at Brooke. Her heart melted at the little girls' expression. "We're here to win you back," she said.

"What?"

"You heard her," Lucas said.

Brooke shut the front door, and then took Laney's hand, leading her to the couch. She picked up the remote and flipped it to the Disney channel. "Can you stay here for a minute so your daddy and I can talk in the kitchen?" she asked.

Laney nodded, her eyes already glued to The Little Mermaid on the television.

Brooke stalked into the kitchen and Lucas followed her. He came up short when she spun around.

"You look like hell, Babe," he said. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Yes!" she spat. "You can leave!"

Lucas shook his head. "No. I can't," he said firmly.

"Why not?" she asked desperately.

"Because I already told Laney we're spending the night," he said simply.

"Well, _she_ can stay," Brooke said.

"We're a package deal, Brooke."

"Lucas—please," she said weakly.

"Please…what?" he asked.

"Just go."

"I can't do that, Brooke."

"Why not?" she asked again.

"Because if I walk out that door, then it might really be over for us. And I'm not going to let that happen."

Brooke groaned. "It already has, Lucas!"

"You're in this for the long haul, Brooke," he reminded her. "Isn't that what you told me?"

"That was before," she said.

"Before what?" he questioned.

"Before I realized that I wasn't ready to be a mother," she said softly, looking away from him.

"You think that because you got scared you're not ready to be a mother?"

She nodded.

"I think it proves that you _are_ ready to be a mother," he told her.

"How does it prove that, Lucas?" she asked angrily. "I didn't even know what to do!"

"Yes, you did. You called my mother."

"Because I didn't know what else to do!"

"And it was a good _choice_, Brooke. You didn't do anything wrong," he assured her. "You did everything perfectly."

"No, I didn't," she said hopelessly, her eyes filling with tears. "I was so scared, Lucas."

He stood there for a minute, studying her face. "The first time I brought Laney to the emergency room, I had to pull over three times so I could throw up," he admitted.

"You did not," she said.

"Yes, I did," he said solemnly. "I was scared to death and Mom and Keith were out of town. She was two month's old and she was burning up. I'd tried Tylenol, and I'd tried giving her a bath in cool water. Neither of them did a thing. So I put her in the car and headed for the hospital. I didn't even know how much I loved her until then, Brooke. She was just always sort of…there. But then…when I was afraid she _wouldn't_ be…I knew I'd never be able to live without her." He paused to let her ponder for a minute. "Can _you_?" he asked.

She looked away again. "No," she said softly.

"Can you live with the thought of someone else being her mother, Brooke? Because I can't," he said with conviction.

She didn't say anything.

"Anyone else would be second rate, Brooke, because no woman will ever love her as much as you do," he said. "And she'll never love anyone the way she loves you."

"You don't play fair," Brooke said softly.

"I'm not trying to," Lucas admitted.

Brooke bit her bottom lip then looked up. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I know you must be so mad at me."

He shook his head. "I'm not mad at you," he said, then smiled gently at her. "In the wise words of my mother, how could I be mad at someone who loves my daughter and me so much?"

Her eyes filled with tears again, and he took a tentative step towards her. When she didn't move, he took another one, and another one, until he was standing right in front of her. "I have something that belongs to you," he said, pulling her ring out of his pocket.

She swallowed nervously and lifted her eyes to his.

"Will you still marry me, Brooke?" he asked.

Tears fell from her eyes as she nodded. He placed the ring on her finger, then pulled her to him, giving her the bone crushing hug he'd wanted to give her the second he'd seen her.


	56. Chapter 56

"Hello?" Haley called out in a sing-song voice as she walked into the beach house with Maddie in her arms. She put the little girl down then crouched to her level. "Where do you suppose your daddy is?" she asked.

"I don't know," Maddie said with a shrug, lifting her hands up in front of her. "Daddy!" she yelled.

The kitchen door opened and Nathan walked into the room, tripping on Maddie's princess Barbie on the way to the door. He picked it up so no one else would step on it, and then finally made it through the obstacle course of toys in the living room and to the door in one piece. Haley had a grin on her face at the sight of him. "Hey!" she said cheerfully.

"Hey," Nathan said his voice flat. He moved his eyes to his daughter and his face broke out into a smile. "Hey, babe," he said affectionately, scooping her up in his arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Daddy," she said excitedly. She wrapped her arms around her neck and grinned at him. "Guess where I was?"

Nathan pretended to think for a minute. "I'm not sure," he said. "Tell me."

"Haley took me to the movies!" she told him.

"She did?"

Maddie nodded.

"That was nice of her."

"It was fun," she said.

"Good," Nathan replied, putting her down. "Can you do me a favor?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"Can you go upstairs and play for a minute? You can set up a tea party and I'll be up in just a little bit," he promised.

"OK!" she said cheerfully. She turned around. "Thank you for taking me to the movies, Haley."

"You're welcome," Haley told her. "I had fun."

"Me, too," Maddie said, then turned around and ran for the stairs.

"So, how was your day?" Haley asked Nathan, leaning up to give him a kiss. He turned his head to the side so she got his cheek.

"It was fine," he said shortly.

She pulled away, a puzzled look on her face. She took her jacket off and hung it up on the hook by the door. "Is everything OK?" she asked.

"Sure," he said.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You tell me, Haley," he said brusquely. "I didn't hear from you at all yesterday," he said in an accusing tone.

"Finals are coming up," she reminded him. "I've been studying."

He crossed his arms and looked at her. "Studying or hanging out with Chris?" he asked.

"Studying! What's with the third degree?" she asked, her temper rising.

"So you didn't see Chris at all yesterday?" he asked.

"Yeah, I saw him. I was at the library studying and he showed up," she said defensively. "But I wasn't _meeting_ him or hanging out with him."

"What was he there for?"

"He wanted to tell me that he'd gotten a record contract and that they liked our duet. They want me on the album," she told him.

"Are you gonna do it?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to do it," she said. "They offered me enough money so that I won't have to work at all next year to pay my expenses. I could concentrate on school."

Nathan shook his head. "I suppose you're going to go on tour with him, too," he said bitterly.

"No. He asked me to go and I told him no. I want to stay here with you and Maddie." She studied his face for a minute, but couldn't read his emotions. "I thought you wanted that, too," she said quietly.

Nathan looked at her for a minute then looked down. "You should go with him," he said quietly.

Disbelieving laughter bubbled up Haley's throat. "You don't mean that," she said desperately.

He lifted his head and met her eyes. "Actually, I do," he said. "I know you want to go on tour with The Ruiners," he said.

"You mean The Wreckers?" she asked.

"Whatever," he said.

"Nathan, I _don't_ want to go," she said with conviction.

"Part of you does," he insisted.

"Part of me _did_. Trust me, I'm over it."

"I'm not sure I believe you," he said.

"Does this even have anything to do with me, or does this have to do with _you_? Nathan, why are you pushing me away?"

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. "You would have left eventually anyway," he said indifferently.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"You heard me," he said.

"You think I'm just going to leave you?" she asked.

Nathan didn't say anything, wouldn't even look at her.

"What if I tell you I'm not going anyway?" she asked. "No matter what you say."

"We both know you're going to, Haley."

Haley swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat, refusing to let tears fill her eyes. "What does this mean for us?" she asked.

"There is no us, Haley," he said firmly.

"Oh," she said her voice thick with emotion. "I see," she said. "So, apparently it's not convenient for you to have me around anymore, so you're just going to send me off on tour and go on your merry way."

He still just stood there, not saying a word.

"Are you going to say anything?" she asked angrily.

He lifted his eyes to hers, then walked to the door and opened it. "Good bye, Haley," he said hoarsely.

She looked at him in disbelief. "This isn't you. This isn't who you are. You wouldn't push me away like this."

Nathan laughed sarcastically. "I'd hardly say you know me, Haley."

Haley tilted her head to the side. "At this point, I'd have to agree with you," she said, her voice breaking. "I guess I'll just go and say good bye to Maddie."

"No," Nathan said firmly. "I'll tell to her that you're gone," he insisted.

"You know what, Nathan? You can push me away from you, but you can't push me away from Maddie. She's already been deserted by her mother. I'm not going to desert her, too," Haley said defiantly. She turned around and made her way upstairs. When she came to the girls' room, she knocked on the door. "Knock, knock," she said.

Maddie looked up. "Did you come to have some tea with me?" she asked.

Haley smiled sadly at her and walked into the room. She sat down at the child size table and said, "Just half a cup, please. I can't stay long."

Maddie stood up and placed a plastic cup with Cinderella on it in front of Haley, then carefully lifted the teapot, and pretended to pour Haley some tea. She put the teapot back down. "Be careful," she cautioned. "It's very, very hot."

Haley smiled at her, and took one of her hands, pulling Maddie against her chest. She gave her a big hug. When she let go, Maddie pulled away and looked at Haley's face, then frowned. "Haley, are you sad?" she asked.

Haley's eyes misted over. "Yes, munchkin, I'm said," she admitted.

"How come?"

Haley forced a smile. "Because I have to go away for a little while," she said.

"Why do you have to go away?" Maddie asked, standing in front of Haley. She put her hands on Haley's knees and looked into her face.

"You know how Daddy doesn't have to go to school in the summer time?" she asked.

Maddie nodded.

"Well, I don't, either. So that means I get to go away for the summer and stay somewhere else."

"Where are you going to stay?" Maddie asked.

"I'm not sure, Honey," she said.

"Can't you stay here with me and my Daddy? He said that Uncle Lucas and Laney are going to move out and live with Brooke when they get married. You could stay in Uncle Lucas' room," she told Haley. "Or you could have Laney's bed and sleep in here with me and Jenny!"

Haley shook her head. "I don't think so, Honey," she said softly, then lifted her tea and pretended to take a sip. "Mmm…that's good."

Maddie nodded solemnly. "Daddy said I make the best tea."

"He's right," Haley agreed. "I have to go, but I wanted to say good bye to you. And I wanted to tell you that…I love you, Mads."

Maddie lifted her arms and placed them around Haley's neck, burying her face in her shoulder. "I love you, too, Haley," she said.

"I'm going to miss you."

She felt Maddie nod. "I'll miss you, too."

Haley pulled away and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. Maddie grinned at her. "Don't be sad, Haley. You'll be back when you and my Daddy have to go to school again," she said.

Haley nodded. "That's right," she said, standing up. "Good bye, Maddie."

"Bye, Haley," Maddie said with a smile on her face.

Haley smiled back through her tears, thankful that her most recent memory of Maddie would be with her smiling. She'd had no idea when she got up that morning that she'd be saying good bye to her.

She went back down the stairs and when she walked into the living room, Nathan was still standing at the door, holding it open for her. She went over to the wall and took her coat off the rack. She folded it over her forearm then looked at Nathan. He wouldn't look at her. She lifted her hand to his cheek. "For record, Nathan, I never would have left you," she told him softly. "But I won't force my way into your life when you don't me, either." With those last words, she left. Nathan stood in the doorway and watched as she drove away.

777

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Haley demanded, storming into the studio.

Chris grinned at her. "I told you you'd be back," he said, leaning back in his chair and lifted his feet to rest his boots on the counter.

"Is it fun for you to mess with people?" she asked heatedly.

"What?"

Haley glared at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Did you go to see Nathan?" she asked.

Chris grinned sheepishly. "He told you about that, huh?"

"No. But he knew you were at the library yesterday. Someone told him before I even got a chance to. It had to have been you," she concluded. "What did you say to him?"

Chris shrugged. "I just told him what a great opportunity this is for you," he said.

"It's not an opportunity that I _want_, Chris! I was fine with things the way they were. I _liked_ them the way they were."

"He's holding you back, Haley," Chris said.

"No he's not! Believe it or not, I have a mind of my own. I make my own decisions."

"Then I think you should change your mind about going on tour with us," he said.

"You know what, Chris? If I hadn't signed that stupid contract, I wouldn't even _sing_ with you."

"But you did sign it," he reminded her.

"Stay out of my life," she warned, then turned to leave.

"I'll see you on tour, Haley," he taunted.

She spun around and walked over to him. She gave the chair he was sitting in a shove, and he went sprawling backwards helplessly.

"Fuck you, Chris!" Haley said angrily.

Chris grinned up at her. "I'll be looking forward to it," he said.

Haley left in a huff. It had started when Drew had cheated on her, and then Nathan had led her on, making her believe that he wanted to be with her forever and making her to believe he wanted to marry her one day, and now Chris. Meddling in her life and doing whatever he had to do to get her on tour. Haley was fed up with men.

777

"What's wrong?" Peyton asked when she opened the door and saw the look on Haley's face.

"Can I come in?" Haley asked.

"Of course," Peyton said, stepping back to let her in. She closed the door and followed her friend to the living room. They both sat down on the couch.

"Nathan broke up with me," she said quietly.

"What?" Peyton asked uncertainly. "Are you…sure?"

"Pretty sure," Haley said with a nod. "He even showed me to the door," she told her friend.

"What did you do?"

Haley shrugged. "What could I do? I said good bye to Maddie and then I left."

"No, I mean for him to want to end things," Peyton clarified.

Haley laughed in disbelief. "So you think that it must be all me. It couldn't possibly be Nathan. I must have done something to deserve this."

"That's not what I meant," Peyton said quickly.

"Really? Because that's what it sounded like," Haley said.

"Haley, I'm sorry. I only meant…" Peyton trailed off. "Oh, God."

Haley stood up, her anger once again rising. "Yeah, I think I know what you meant!" she spouted off, pacing back and forth in front of the couch.

"Haley, I—"

"You know, you think someone knows you and then something like this happens and—"

"Haley!" Peyton said urgently.

Haley's eyes flew to Peyton's face.

"My water just broke."


	57. Chapter 57

_Author's Note: This chapter has been a long time in the making and includes a few surprises. I hope you enjoy it!_

_On another note, about this weeks One Tree Hill (spoilers for those who haven't seen it)--I know it's typical of a junkie to steal money, but I'm hoping that Rachel just took off, and that Victoria took the money, trying to get Brooke to think Rachel did it. Also--I really would like for Lucas to end up with Lindsey. I like her a lot. I think that she's equal to him intellectually, and I think that she's better for him emotionally than Peyton is. She's so upbeat, and I really think that Lucas needs that in his life! I've reconciled myself to the fact that it's probably not going to happen, but I'm still going to hope!_

"You called Brooke, right?" Peyton asked.

Haley nodded. "Yes, Honey, I called Brooke." She pushed Peyton's hair back behind her ear. "She'll be here soon. And I called your dad, too, but he probably won't get here in time."

Peyton bit down on her lower lip and nodded.

"You OK?" Haley asked.

"Just nervous," Peyton admitted.

"Everything is going to be fine," Haley promised her friend. "Do you want me to call Jake?"

Peyton shook her head. "No."

"Peyton, I really think—"

"I'll call him when I'm ready," Peyton said firmly.

Haley nodded. "OK," she said softly.

The doctor lifted his head up so his face was above the sheet covering Peyton's knees. "You're definitely in labor," he confirmed. "You're at about seven centimeters," he said.

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, I was at five yesterday," she told the doctor calmly.

"What?" Haley shrieked.

"I had a doctor's appointment," Peyton said.

"And you didn't tell anyone?"

Peyton sighed. "Haley, I've been through worse things than labor before," she informed her friend.

The door to the room flew open and Brooke came in like a hurricane. "Thank God! Have you had little Peyton yet?" she asked. She walked over to the edge of the bed and stood beside the doctor. "How long have you been delivering babies?" she demanded.

An amused look appeared on the young doctors' face. "This is my first time," he said. His voice was teasing, but Brooke didn't pick up on it.

"A virgin?" she demanded. "Well, this just won't _do_. We need someone in here who's experienced," she told him.

"Brooke, it's fine," Peyton assured her.

"Honey, you're in labor. You aren't thinking clearly," Brooke informed her friend. "We want another doctor."

Peyton grinned at the doctor apologetically. "This is my friend, Brooke," she said. "She's a little overprotective. I'm fine with you delivering my baby."

"I'll be back in a little bit to check on you," he said, leaving the room.

"What kind of doctor just leaves when a woman is in labor?" she asked in disbelief, following the doctor from the room, plying him with questions.

"This is not going to be pretty," Haley said.

Peyton grinned. "I think you might be right."

A few minutes later, Brooke came back into the room. "As it turns out, he's the only doc on right now."

"Everything is going to be fine," Peyton said.

Brooke gave her a dirty look. "That's easy for you to say," she said dryly.

Peyton's eyes widened. "You're wearing your ring."

Brooke looked down at her hand and grinned. "Yeah, I am."

"Does this mean what I think it means?"

Brooke nodded. "Yeah. I got a little scared when Laney got sick, but…my fiancé helped me to see the light." She grinned wickedly. "And then, after Laney went to bed, he helped me to see stars."

Peyton and Haley both groaned. "Seriously, Brooke, you have got to learn some boundaries," Haley teased.

Peyton looked at Haley. "Does Brooke know yet?" she asked.

Haley shook her head while Brooke looked from one friend to the other.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Nathan dumped me," Haley said quickly.

"What?!" Brooke asked in disbelief.

"Exactly," Haley said.

"But I thought…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, I thought so, too," Haley said.

"Are you OK?" Brooke asked compassionately.

Haley smiled sadly at her. "I'm going to miss him, Brooke. But if he doesn't want me…then he doesn't want me. There's nothing I can do about _that_."

Brooke sighed. "This is ridiculous. Nathan loves you," she insisted.

"Well, that's what I thought, too. As it turns out, I didn't know him as well as I thought I did."

"What would make him want to break up with you? He chased you forever!"

"I don't know," Haley said. "And honestly, I don't want to analyze it right now."

Brooke nodded. "OK," she said softly, then turned to Peyton. "Did you call Jake yet?" she asked.

Peyton shook her head.

"Do you want me to?"

"No. When I'm ready, I'll call him."

"Before the baby comes?"

Peyton shrugged. "I'm not sure yet."

Brooke bit down on her lower lip.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Just say it."

Brooke's eyes flew to her friends. "Say what?"

"Whatever it is that you're thinking," Peyton said.

"I wasn't thinking anything," Brooke defended herself.

"Yes, you were," Peyton argued.

Brooke took a deep breath. "I was just thinking how much he'd hate to miss this, that's all," she said quietly.

777

As the hours wore on, Peyton's contractions began and the last time the doctor left the room, he told the girls to come get him if they saw the baby crowning. Brooke was pacing back and forth at the end of the bed. "This is taking longer than I though," she said nervously.

"Everything is right on schedule," Haley said.

Brooke took a calming breath and nodded.

Haley turned back to Peyton, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Can we get you anything?" Haley asked her softly.

Peyton, who had been strong up until now promptly burst into tears. "I want Jake," she wailed uncharacteristically.

Brooke nodded and walked to the door. She smiled softy at the man who had been standing in the hallway for the entire evening. "She's ready for you, Jake."

He walked into the room and rushed to Peyton's side. He looked directly into her eyes. "Are you OK?" he asked fretfully, brushing her hair away from her face with his hand.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, the amusement in her voice clear.

"I wasn't there when Jenny was born," he explained.

She smiled weakly. "I'm OK," she whispered.

He kissed her on the forehead.

"Have you been out there the whole time?" she asked.

He nodded. "The whole time," he told her.

"I'm so sorry, Jake."

"Oh, baby, for what?" he asked.

"For not telling you. And then for not letting you see me."

"Sshh," he said. "That part of us is over, Peyton. This is the _new _us," he said, smiling gently.

"The new us?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yep, the new us," he reaffirmed.

"Tell me about this 'new us,'" she said.

"This new us—" he started, but stopped when Peyton grabbed his hand and squeezed it with more strength than he even knew she had. "What's going on?" he asked, panicked.

Peyton breathed through it for a few more seconds before answering. "It's called a contraction," she snapped.

"Umm…I don't like those," Jake said apprehensively, trying to take a step back, but Peyton still held his hand.

"You think _you_ don't," she joked.

"Do they hurt?"

She gave him a dirty look. "Jake—whoever said that no question is a stupid question—lied. That was the dumbest question I've ever heard. Of course it hurts!"

Jake's eyes widened and he tried to take a step back, but she pulled him to her by his hand.

Brooke leaned over the bed and patted him on the shoulder. "Lotsa luck, buddy. Come get us when little Peyton is here."

Peyton grabbed her by the hand. "You're not staying?"

Brooke shook her head no. "The 'new you' need some time alone." She kissed Peyton on the forehead. "Good luck, Buddy," she said then turned to Jake. "Take care of her," she said before she left the room with Haley right behind her.

"For one thing, with this new us, _this_ man is not an ass," Jake said his thumb pointing to himself.

Peyton giggled at his words. "I miss you, Jake," she said softly, leaning back on her pillow.

"I'm right here, Baby," he promised, dropping a light kiss on her forehead.

She nodded and then bit down on her lower lip. "I thought we'd be married first," she admitted.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I always wanted to be a wife before I became a mother."

Jake nodded and swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. "Do you mean that, Peyton?" he asked.

"Yes," she confirmed.

Jake nodded. "Good," he said, heading for the door. He opened it and peeked his head out.

"Jake?" she asked uncertainly.

He returned to her bedside with a tender smile. "Marry me, Peyton," he said. "Marry me right now."

"But—"

The door to the room opened and Lucas walked in, followed by a man Peyton didn't recognize, then Haley and Brooke. "This is Reverend Judson," Jake said. "He'll marry us tonight if you say yes." He studied Peyton's face.

"But we have a lot of things that we need to discuss," she said.

Jake nodded. "Yes, we do," he agreed. "And we'll discuss them, but right now, I want to marry you."

"Jake—"

"Don't you think our son deserves for his parents to be married?"

Peyton didn't say anything, just studied his face uncertainly.

"I love you, Peyton. And I was an idiot when I pushed you away," he said softly.

"If this is our first discussion, then it's going to end well, because I agree with you," she teased.

Jake laughed. "Marry me," he said again. "No one's going to keep Jenny and me in line like you do, Peyton."

She nodded slowly. "I'll marry you," she whispered. "But not because I'm having your son, Jake. I'll marry you because I love you."

Jake grinned down at her. "Good to know," he said.

777

"Do you Peyton Sawyer take Jake Jagielski to be your lawfully wedded husband? For richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others until death do you part?" the Reverend asked.

Jake looked at Peyton expectantly as her eyes filled with tears. "Peyton?" he said softly.

"I always thought my dad would be here when I got married," she said on a sob.

"He'll be here next time we get married, Peyton. I _promise_," Jake told her. "We'll have another wedding."

As if on cue, the door to her hospital room flew open and Larry Sawyer came rushing into the room, skidding to a stop by his daughters' bedside. "Did I miss it?" he asked her, obviously out of breath from hurrying.

"I do!" Peyton wailed through her tears.

"Then by the power vested in me, and by the power of the state of North Carolina, I now pronounce you man and wife." The reverend looked at Jake and smiled. "You may kiss your bride."

Larry Sawyer watched as Jake leaned down and gave his daughter a soft kiss on the lips. "What the hell just happened?" he asked confused.

Peyton let out a scream and Jake jumped back in surprise. Brooke rushed to the foot of the bed and lifted the sheet up from between her friends' legs. "I think that's the baby's head," she said in

wonderment as Lucas crumbled in a heap onto the floor. "Somebody get the doctor!" Brooke commanded.

777

"He's so _pretty_," Brooke said, admiring the baby in her arms.

Jake cleared his throat. "Or…handsome as hell," he corrected.

Brooke shook her head. "No, he's pretty," she said in a teasing tone.

Peyton smiled at her husband. "It's OK, Jake," she assured him. "All babies are pretty."

"Even boys?" he asked doubtfully.

"Even boys," she confirmed.

"So, do you have a name picked out yet?" Haley asked, standing behind Brooke's chair and looking down at the baby.

"Yeah," Peyton said softly. "We do." She looked at Jake and smiled. "We got his name from Brooke, actually."

Brooke looked up. "From _me_?" she asked.

Peyton nodded. "His name is _Jeyton_ Jacob Jagielski," she informed them.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Haley said.

Jake sighed and shook his head. "We need to come up with some masculine adjectives."

"Jeyton Jacob Jagielski," Lucas said laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jake asked.

"Dude—you gave your son a tongue twister name!"


	58. Chapter 58

_Author's Note: Thanks again so much for the reviews! As always, I love reading what you have to say!_

"I hate that you're leaving," Brooke said sullenly. She was sitting on her friends' bed watching her pack.

Haley looked over her shoulder and grinned at Brooke. "Change is inevitable, Brooke," she teased.

Brooke crossed her arms over her chest. "Stupid Nathan!" She sighed. "I can't even decide who is more stupid. Nathan or Jake. And I _won't_ be able to decide until you tell me exactly how the conversation went. In detail," she said firmly.

Haley shut the dresser drawer with her hip and walked over to the bed, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter, Brooke."

"It matters to _you_," Brooke said softly.

"It's just one more thing that I need to put behind me," Haley said. "And the sooner I stop talking about it, the sooner I can get over it."

"But you haven't even _started_ talking about it," Brooke pointed out.

"And I'm not going to."

"But how am I going to analyze it?" Brooke asked.

"You're not," Haley informed her with a laugh, zipping up the suitcase sitting next to Brooke.

She straightened and put her hands in her back pockets, looking around at her room for the last time. "I'm really going to miss this place," she said quietly.

"I'm going to miss you _in_ it," Brooke agreed.

Haley laughed softly. "You'll see me in two weeks when you get married. And then you're going on a honey moon with Lucas. After that, you're moving into the apartment at your parents' house. With all the 'wife-ing' you'll be busy doing, you won't even notice I'm gone."

"That's not true, Haley, and you know it," Brooke said, her eyes filling with tears.

"I know," Haley said, wiping at the tears in her own eyes. "Boy am I glad I've already said good bye to Peyton, Mouth, and Rachel," she teased. "Otherwise this would be a real tear-jerking moment."

"It is anyway," Brooke said standing up. She sighed in defeat and then held out her arms. "Hug me," she commanded.

Haley took a step closer to her friend and gave her a big hug.

"If I don't let you go, then you can't leave," Brooke said.

Haley laughed. "Yes, but on the other hand, I'll miss the fitting for my dress," she joked.

That loosened Brooke's hold on her immediately. "Don't kid about my wedding!" she warned. "You may have just jinxed it."

Haley grinned. "I did _not_ jinx your wedding," she said.

Brooke took a deep breath. "I hope you have a great summer, Haley," she said sincerely. She gave her friend a playful shove. "You're going to be the _best_ damn opening act those Wreckers ever saw!"

Haley smiled weakly. "Yeah," she said softly. 

"I'm really going to miss you, Haley."

"Me, too."

"I wish Nathan had—" The sound of her phone ringing interrupted Brooke and she pulled it out of her pocket, checking the caller ID. "It's the wedding planner," she said apologetically. "I have to take this."

Haley nodded. "I know. I'll see you in a few weeks, Brooke," she said.

Brooke smiled. "Yeah, and I'll talk to you _way_ before then," she promised.

With a final nod, Haley lifted her suitcase off the bed as Brooke opened her phone. As she left the room, she heard her friend's voice rise in frustration at whatever the wedding planner was saying. Haley's eyes misted over again as she shut the front door behind her. Life would go on for everyone just as it had when Peyton had left. Sure, they'd miss her, but they'd get by. Just like _she_ would. She swallowed past the lump of sadness in her throat as she put her last suitcase in the trunk and then climbed into the driver's seat. She started the car. "New York or bust," she muttered to herself. She checked the rearview mirror and sped off—leaving Tree Hill—_and_ Nathan—behind.

777

"Daddy!" Jenny screeched from her place on the couch.

Jake took his eyes off Nathan long enough to look at his daughter. "What is it, Jenny?" he asked.

"Maddie's been holding my brother for a _really _long time," she said impatiently. "Can't I hold him again?" she asked.

Jake shook his head. "Honey, remember what I said about taking turns?"

"But Daddy—" she said.

"Jenny, you get to hold Jey all the time at home. Let's let Maddie have a turn. OK?" he said softly.

Jenny sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, it's not OK," she muttered.

Just then the baby started crying, and Jake walked over to take him from Maddie's little arms. "Thanks for holding him for me, Mads," he said. "But I think he's hungry now. I'm just going to feed him. Why don't you girls go up and play for a little while before we have to leave?" he suggested. 

The three girls must have liked the idea, because they all got up and raced for the stairs. Jake sighed. "Now that Jeyton's here, Jenny's quite the little handful," he admitted, plucking the diaper bag up off the floor and heading for the kitchen. Nathan and Lucas were right behind him. "We have to keep an eye on her every second. The other day, he was in the living room sleeping in his bassinet, and when Peyton came to check on him, Jenny was sitting on the couch holding him. She'd taken him out all by herself and was playing _house_ with him. She was obviously the mother," he said dryly.

Lucas laughed. "Did Peyton freak out?" he asked.

Jake shook his head. "No. She thought it was adorable. She told Jenny not to do it again, but she laughed while she was telling me."

"What did _you_ do?" Nathan asked.

"_I_ freaked out," he admitted, letting the faucet run until the water got warm enough. Then he put a few scoops of formula into a bottle and filled it up with water. "I feel like a novice, and I even had all that time with Jenny. Peyton is so great with him, it's like she's been around babies forever."

Lucas scoffed. "Wow," he said scornfully. "What's it like having the mother of your child actually _want_ to stick around?"

Jake took a deep breath. "I can't even explain it, man. Watching her with Jeyton…seeing him in her arms…watching her show Jenny how to change a diaper…it's all amazing. I feel like this is what it's all about," he said with conviction. "I feel like…I've been waiting for this my whole life."

Lucas gave him a slap on the back. "I'm happy for you, Jake," he said solemnly.

"Thanks," Jake said with a nod.

Lucas turned to his brother. "But you…" He slapped Nathan on the back of the head. "What the hell is wrong with _you_?"

Nathan rubbed the back of his head. "Oww! What the hell was that for?" he asked.

"What did you do to Haley?" Lucas shot back.

Nathan sighed. "I didn't do anything to her," he said defending himself.

"Really?"

"Really," Nathan said.

Lucas studied his brother's face for a minute. "Liar," he challenged.

Nathan's eyes snapped up. "I just…had a terrible sense of foreboding," he said.

Lucas sighed. "Well maybe it had nothing to do with Haley going on tour. Maybe it had to do with _you_ being a jack-ass," he said heatedly.

Nathan glared at Jake as he laughed at Lucas' comment, and then swallowed audibly. "Oh, what? Like she wasn't going to leave someday anyway?" he said throwing his arms out to his sides.

"What! Nathan, what in the hell are you talking about?" Lucas asked.

"Look at us, Luke," he said, glancing from Jake to his brother. 

"What am I supposed to see?" Lucas asked confused.

"Three guys who have been walked out on," Nathan explained.

"What?"

"Oh, come on. Nikki walked out on Jake and Jenny. Sara was leaving you the night of her accident. And Lauren walked out on Maddie and me," he reminded his brother.

"So, what? We all got the shit end of the deal. Don't you think it's time for something good to happen for you, Nate? 

"Let me ask you something. Do you really think Brooke is never going to leave you?" he pressed.

Lucas nodded emphatically. "I think Brooke is _never_ going to leave me," he said fervently.

"Even after the other night?"

_"Especially _after the other night," Lucas said.

"And honestly, Nathan, Nikki walking out on Jenny and me is the best thing she ever could have done for us," Jake declared. "She didn't want Jenny. And even though I was angry at the time, I'm thankful now. She could have wreaked real havoc in our lives if she'd stayed." He shrugged. "At least she was decent enough to leave."

"You're daughter wasn't _wanted_ by her mother, Jake. How does that make you feel?" Nathan asked passionately.

"My _daughter_ is wanted by me. And by Peyton. Is this how I would have chosen things to be? Absolutely not," Jake admitted. "But I wouldn't trade my Jenny…for the _world_."

No one said anything for a minute. "How long have you been angry about this?" Lucas finally asked.

Nathan shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he said.

"It matters to _you_," Lucas said stating the obvious, not realizing that he was mimicking Brooke's earlier words to Haley. "You're a bastard," he informed his brother.

Nathan nodded. "I know," he said quietly.

"You led her on."

Nathan looked away from his brothers' stare.

"You told her you wanted to marry her, Nate. And then the first chance you got, you pushed her away."

"That's not how it was," Nathan said quickly.

"That's how she's going to see it," Lucas informed him. "You fixed her heart, Nate. And then you broke it again."

"She wanted to go on that tour," Nathan said with a shrug. "I just made it easier for her."

"Oh, wake up and smell the bull-shit," Lucas told his brother. "She wanted _you_!"

Jake had just been standing there watching the exchange between the brothers, but now it was his turn to speak. "Peyton thinks you're a martyr," he said.

"Yeah? Well, _Peyton_ needs to learn how to stay out of what isn't her business," Nathan snapped.

"She's your friend, Nate," Jake reminded him. "She worries about you. It's who she is."

"I don't need a lecture," Nathan said bitterly. "I'm gonna take Maddie and we're gonna stay at my mom and dads' tonight. I don't have time for this shit!" 

"You will tonight when you can't sleep," Lucas said to his brother's retreating form.

Jake sighed, causing Lucas to look at him. "What?" he asked

"He has no idea what he's in for," Jake said knowingly. He removed the bottle from Jeytons' mouth and lifted him over his shoulder to burp him just as Lucas' cell phone began to ring.

He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. "Hey, Babe," he said with a grin on his face. "How's my favorite bride?"

"We're not getting married, Lucas!" she said miserably.

He sighed. "Brooke, we've been over this. _You _are going to marry me whether you like it or not," he teased.

"Lucas—the room at the hotel that we put the deposit on was double booked!" she told him. "And they're taking it away from _us_ because we reserved it after the other couple." He heard her choke on a sob.

"Brooke, calm down. I'm gonna get Laney and we'll be�right over, OK? We'll figure this out. I promise. We're getting married in two weeks. I don't care if we have to get married on Alcatraz Island," he said.

Brooke sighed. "Hurry, Lucas. I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown," she informed him.

"I'm on my way, Babe," he said, shutting his phone.

"Everything OK?" Jake asked.

Lucas nodded. "You know how most men pick a wife who's like their mother?" he asked.

Jake laughed. "Yeah."

"I should be so lucky. Instead, I picked a wife who's just like my daughter. Dramatic as hell," he commented dryly.


	59. Chapter 59

Brooke flung the door open before Lucas and Laney even made it there. "Thank God you're here!" she exclaimed.

When they walked into the apartment, Laney attached herself to Lucas' pant leg. "Daddy?"

He reached down to ruffle his daughter's hair. "Yeah, Blue?"

"Why do Brookie's eyes look like they're going to fall out of her head?" she asked. "And why are her cheeks red?"

Lucas looked up at Brooke and a slow grin spread across his face. "Babe, you have _got_ to calm down," he told her in a soothing voice.

She grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him further into the room. "Easy for _you_ to say!" she said huffily. "You aren't the one making all of the wedding plans!"

Lucas turned around and shut the door, then lifted Laney into his arms. "Let's go have a seat and talk about this," he said calmly.

They sat down on the couch and Brooke leaned over and gave Laney a kiss. "How's my favorite girl?" she asked with a soft smile, her anxiety temporarily subsiding.

Laney reached up and touched Brooke's cheek. "Your eyes look better," she said.

Brooke laughed. "I'm just a little bit stressed out," she explained.

"Because you can't get married at that hotel?" she asked.

Brooke gave Lucas a surprised look then returned her eyes to Laney. "What do you know about that?" she asked.

"Daddy said that we were going to have the wedding somewhere else," she said. "But he said he doesn't care where it is. Just as long as he gets to marry you. I don't care where it is, either. I'm just glad that you're going to be my mommy soon."

Brooke's eyes misted over as she listened to Laney.

The little girl sat back on the couch. "Can you turn the television on for me, please?" she asked in all of her childish innocence. She had no idea of the impact that her words had had on Brooke.

Brooke turned the television on and then stood up. She wiped at the fresh tears on her cheeks as she made her way to the kitchen. Lucas was right behind her. She spun around with no warning, and Lucas ran smack into her. She stumbled backward and he had to grab her by the arm to steady her. He pulled her to him. "You OK?" he asked.

"I've never been better," she whispered breathlessly.

"Brooke—"

She lifted her hands to his face and shook her head. "I don't care where we get married, either," she told him earnestly.

He lifted his hands to hers and gently pulled them from his face, moving them down by his side. He laced his fingers with hers. "You do, too," he argued.

"I _don't_, Lucas," she said again. "All I care about is being Mrs. Lucas Scott." She grinned at him. "I don't care if we _do_ have to get married on Alcatraz Island," she teased.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder. "We are _not_ getting married on Alcatraz Island," he promised her. 

She sighed. "Thank God!"

777

Bevin sighed contentedly as she opened a fresh bottle of lotion inside of the Bath & Body Works store she and Peyton were visiting. "Isn't it nice to get out?" she asked her friend.

Peyton smiled wistfully. "I miss Jenny and Jeyton," she said softly. "And Jake."

Bevin rolled her eyes and laughed. "Trust me, a few more months, and that will pass," she teased.

Peyton shook her head. "I won't let it," she said.

Bevin linked her arm with Peyton's as they made their way out of the store. "I made it out of here without spending over fifty dollars. My baby is going to be so proud of me!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah, especially when you put on that vanilla body spray that he loves so much," Peyton teased. 

"Excuse me!" a young girl said, grinning widely at Bevin. "Could I please have you autograph?" she asked.

Bevin smiled weakly at Peyton. "Sure. Who should I make it out to?" she asked.

"You can make it out to Belinda," the young girl said, handing a pen and paper to Bevin. "I loved you on American Idol!" the girl continued.

Bevin looked up at her. "Thanks." She handed the pen and paper back to the girl. 

"I can't wait to tell all my friends I met Carrie Underwood!" she exclaimed. "Do you…think…you could sing a few lines of Jesus, Take the Wheel?" she asked.

Bevin put her hand to her throat and shook her head. "I have to save my voice for the studio," she whispered conspiratorially.

"Oh, I totally understand. Thanks again!" the girl said, running off.

Peyton grinned at her friend. "What was _that_ all about?" she asked.

Bevin smiled back. "She thought I was Carrie Underwood."

"Yeah, I figured that, but…you look _nothing_ like Carrie Underwood," Peyton observed.

Bevin shrugged. "That's what Skills and I think, but this is the third time I've been mistaken for her," she said.

Peyton laughed. "Well, that was certainly a highlight of the day," she teased.

Bevin grinned. "Look at you all happy. Marriage and motherhood certainly agree with you," she said, as they continued their jaunt through the mall.

Peyton grinned. "It does make me pretty happy," she agreed.

"So you and Jake have talked everything over?"

Peyton shook her head. "We haven't really talked at _all_," she said.

"Oh, right," Bevin joked. "You're still in the honey moon stage. You're not getting out of _bed_ yet."

"Bevin—how long did you and Skills wait to have sex after you had Raven?" Peyton asked.

"Oh, you know. A few…hours."

Peyton burst into laughter. "You waited longer than that!"

"OK. Fine. You're right. But we didn't want to. And we _certainly_ didn't wait as long as my doctor wanted us to," she remarked. "I am a woman, after all. I have needs."

Peyton continued laughing. "Leave it to you and Skills," she said.

"Hey—Skills and I can't help it if we're…how do I put this? _Active_."

"Oh, Lord, I think I know more about you than I ever wanted to," Peyton said dryly.

Bevin grinned. "And it only gets worse."

"Really?"

Bevin nodded her head. "Oh, yes. The better friends we become the more beans I spill."

"Great," Peyton teased.

"Hey, look!" Bevin said, pointing. "Victoria's Secret!"

Peyton wrinkled her nose. "And?"

"Let's go get something for our men," she said.

"I don't think so," Peyton said.

"Why not?"

"I have never worn anything like that before," she said.

"Oh, please." Bevin looked at her friend. "Oh. You're not kidding."

Peyton shook her head.

"Well, let me tell you something, Peyton. As a new mother, there are few things that are going to make you feel sexy."

"The spit up doesn't do that for you?" Peyton said amused.

Bevin rolled her eyes. "You're gonna knock Jake's socks off tonight."

"Bevin, Jeyton is only two weeks old!" Peyton exclaimed.

"So, what? Trust me, Peyton. You and Jake need this."

Peyton sighed. "Fine. But you better not put me in anything that's pink!"

777

"Nathan, you've been here for five days," his mother said. "And not that I don't love having you here, but are you ever going back to the beach house?"

Nathan sighed. "Eventually," he told his mother. "Just…not while Lucas is there. Probably when I get back from California and he's all moved in with Brooke."

Deb sighed. "Well, in that case, why don't you have something to eat?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

She studied her sons face. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

His looked at his mother. "Talk about what?" 

"Haley."

"What's there to talk about?" he asked.

"Well, for starters, you loved her. And now she's gone."

Nathan shrugged. "It was bound to happen," he said matter-of-factly.

"You falling in love with her?" Deb asked confused.

Nathan shook his head. "Her leaving."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because everyone does eventually," he reminded her.

Deb sighed again. "Lauren?" she asked softly.

Nathan nodded. "And Sara. And Nikki."

"Honey, Sara and Lucas may have been breaking up, but we don't know for sure she was leaving for good. Even Lucas said she was coming back for Laney."

"Yeah, because she knew how much Lucas loved her and that it would make him miserable to be without her," Nathan remarked.

"You don't know that."

"Sara was a bitch, Mom. I don't even know what Lucas ever saw in her. I'm not sure he was thinking with his head when he married her."

"That's not a very nice thing to say."

"Maybe not, but Lucas has said the same thing." He stood up. "Can you watch Maddie while I go out?" he asked.

Deb nodded. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"The River Court," he said.

Deb nodded. "Yeah, I'll check in on her to make sure she's still sleeping."

"Thanks," he said.

777

"Hey, Little Brother," Nathan heard from behind him. He swung around and saw Lucas, Jake, and Skills walking up. 

He shook his head. "Unbelievable," he said. "My mom called you, didn't she?"

"She's worried about you," Lucas said, defending Deb.

"Well, she doesn't need to be," he said angrily. "I'm just fine." He turned around and shot the ball at the basket. For the first time any of them could remember, it didn't go in. 

"I can see that," Lucas said sarcastically.

Jake went in for the rebound and when he got it, held the ball to his midsection. "What's up, Buddy?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "What's it to you?" he asked. It was clear that the fuse on his temper was shortening.

"OooOOoh, looks like feisty Nate-Dog is back," Skills said.

"And to be honest, we never really _liked_ him," Lucas admitted.

"Well, maybe it's time for him to make a comeback," Nathan said.

"It's not and you know it," Jake said. "Maddie doesn't deserve the man you used to be for her father. She deserves the man you've _become_, Nate."

"I don't want any chick talk," Nathan said.

"It's _manly _chat," Jake reminded him.

"Look," Lucas said. "We're not going to stand here and tell you that you were stupid to break up with Haley."

"And we're not going to stand her and tell you she was the best thing that ever happened to you and Maddie, because you already know that," Jake said.

"We're just here to hang out," Skills told him, making his way to Jake and pulling the ball out of his arms. "And maybe beat the Scott boys at some ball," he said, dribbling.

Lucas walked up and put an arm around Nate's shoulders. "What do you say, Little Brother? A little two on two? The Scott boys against the old married men?"

Nathan stood there for a minute then nodded. He grinned at Skills and Jake. "Bring it on," he challenged.

777

Nathan rolled down his window as he saw Jake jogging towards him. "Everything OK?" he asked.

Jake nodded. "Yeah, Peyton just asked me to give this to you," he said, handing Nate a manila folder. 

"Thanks," Nate said, as Jake returned to his own vehicle.

Curiously, he opened the envelope and pulled out what it contained. He studied the sketch for a minute, but it was the words at the bottom that caught his eye. _Sometimes They Come Back._

He flipped the paper over and saw Peyton's handwriting on the back of it. _I did_.

_Author's Note: Stay tuned for the next chapter, when everyone makes their way to California for the Davis/Scott wedding! Will it go off without a hitch? And will Haley be able to make it? Or will she be too busy? Find out in the next chapter! And thanks again for all of your reviews! I love reading them! They make me want to update faster!_

_On another note – I just have to say, I have an enormous amount of respect for Mark Schwahn, because he did, after all, create all of our favorite characters. But who does he think he's kidding? He said in an interview that if this was the end of One Tree Hill, he thought we'd be happy with the last episode of this season (which at that point was last nights' episode.) I don't know about you, but I certainly would not have been happy if things had been left like that! I'm starting to wonder if he even cares what the fans think anymore or if he just takes us to be idiots. OK, my tirade is finished, but I had to get that in there! Sorry, one last thing. Loved the Dan/Nanny Carrie scene last night when he had her up against the wall. Loved it! I hope now she's gone for good!_


	60. Chapter 60

Rachel squeezed her husbands' arm and laughed softly as Brooke unbuckled her lap belt and stood up, pacing in front of the door that led to the cockpit. "Remind you of the morning of our wedding?" she whispered with a grin.

Mouth McFadden returned his wife's grin. "Rachel—_everything _reminds me of our wedding day," he said softly.

She leaned in and gave him a kiss just as Brooke started in.

"OK," she said solemnly. "We will be landing at LAX at approximately three p.m.," she said.

"No approximately about it," Nathan whispered to Lucas under his breath. "I bet that fiancé of yours has every single minute of this trip already planned for us right down to bathroom breaks."

Lucas just grinned, but his eyes remained on Brooke, who was now handing out itineraries for everyone—pink for the females, blue for the males.

When she was done, she returned to her spot at the front. "Now, as you can see," she started, "Rachel, Peyton and I will be leaving immediately to have waxes et cetera done." She pointed to the first item on the pink list. "It's very important that we have this done on time and _tonight_, because we want the swelling to have subsided before my wedding day."

"Yes, Maddie," Brooke said as the little girls hand shot up.

"Is Haley going to be at the wedding?" she asked with a frown.

"Oh, Honey," Brooke said softly. "Of course Haley's going to be at the wedding. She wouldn't miss seeing you for the _world_!"

Maddie's face broke into a huge grin at Brooke's answer and she looked victoriously up at her father, as if she'd orchestrated Haley being there single handedly. Nathan smiled gently back at his daughter.

"Now, the men will be reporting immediately to the hotel to check all of us in, and then they'll be having a meeting with the tailor to make sure that their tuxes are custom fit," she reminded them, holding up the blue list. "I'm going to touch lightly on each item on our respective lists, and then we'll go into more depth as the next three days go on."

Everyone tuned Brooke out as she went on and on about each item on each list. Everyone except Lucas, who was mesmerized by the mere site of his soon to be bride. He sat there enthralled throughout her entire speech. He wasn't sure of her _exact _words, but she looked hot as hell, he thought. Forty five minutes later, when she was finally finished, she came and sat down by him, putting her head on his shoulder.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Tired, babe?" he asked.

He felt her nod against his shoulder.



"A few more days, and we'll be in Cancun," he reminded her. "Then you can rest all you want."

She lifted her head and met his eyes. "Lucas—you're right about thing," she said huskily. "I _will_ be in bed. But I sure as hell won't be alone, and I _certainly_ won't be sleeping," she said with a wicked grin.

Lucas looked at her lips and licked his own. "Laney's not here," he whispered.

"I know," Brooke said huskily, her eyes glued to his wet lips. She could practically taste him.

"I think we should…go to one of the cabins," he said.

"Stellar idea, Baby," she said, abruptly getting to her feet. A few of their friends looked at her questioningly, but she didn't even notice. She was too busy thinking about getting her fiancé into bed. She led the way to the cabin, and when Lucas walked in, she slammed the door behind him, locked it then hastily unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off.

Lucas was busy shedding his own clothes. When he turned around, Brooke was standing right there. She pushed him and he fell backward onto the bed. He grinned at her. "Foreplay?" he asked, as she crawled on top of him so she was in a straddling position.

She bit her lower lip. "There's no time," she confessed.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "If we want to christen this plane before the McFadden's, we have to do it _now_, Lucas!" she said.

His brows came together as confusion set in. "It's not a race, Brooke," he told her.

"Like hell it's not!" she said, lowering herself down onto him.

He took a sharp breath at the intense feeling of pleasure as she started rocking against him.

"We win," he said triumphantly, digging his hands into her hips and lifting his own off the bed.

777

"You _still_ haven't told them?" Mouth asked in disbelief, pushing his wife away at her announcement.

"Honey, my parents aren't like yours," Rachel told him, sighing in defeat.

"Well—how are they?" he asked.

"For starters, they aren't very nice. At least my mother isn't," she muttered, looking around the cabin, anywhere but at her husband.



"Rachel—you're twenty-two years old," he reminded her.

"_Or_ as they see it, twenty two years _young_," she said.

"Are you _ever_ going to tell them?" he asked.

"Yes," she said in a small voice.

"When?" he demanded.

"I…I'm not sure," she stammered. "But I will."

"You're _damn_ right you will," he said, pulling out his cell phone and thrusting it at her.

He watched as her eyes widened and her lips parted.

"I'm sorry," he said, instantly contrite. "I didn't mean to be a jerk."

Rachel shook her head. "It's not that," she assured him, her breathing ragged. "It's just—it really makes me hot when you get all dominant like that," she admitted.

He looked at his wife for a minute then pushed her roughly down onto the mattress. "You can tell them after," he decided.

777

"So, what do you think the McFaddens and soon to be Scotts are doing?" Jake asked, taking his eyes off from his son to look at his wife.

"I'm not sure about the McFaddens, but I have a feeling that Brooke is taking Lucas for an even bigger ride than the one we're on," Peyton said dryly.

He grinned at his wife. "Jealous?" he asked. They still hadn't been together since Jeyton was born.

"You have no idea," Peyton said with a sly grin, thinking of the black silky nightgown that was hidden in her suitcase. It was the one that Bevin had helped her pick out when they'd gone to Victoria's Secret a few weeks ago. Her friend had been right. Although she was enjoying motherhood so far, she hadn't felt sexy since Jeyton was born. But she was going to remedy that soon enough. And her husband was going to help her.

777

His back was to the entrance of the room, but he knew the second she walked in. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and his flesh was covered with goose bumps. He sighed and silently cursed his body at its betrayal.

"Haley!" Maddie screeched. She jumped up from her seat and headed for the door at top speed.



Nathan refused to look up. He continued working on the bow until he finally got it, the mints now secure in their mesh casing. He forced himself to tie three more before he looked up, _To make sure Maddie's OK_, he told himself. But his eyes quickly moved from his daughter to rest on Haley. Her hair was up in a pony tail and she was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with a purple, blue, and gray and white halter top that tied at the nape of her neck. She had a pair of flip flops on her feet. Nathan looked at her—from head to toe, before returning to the task Brooke had assigned him.

"You just can't keep your eyes off her, can you?" Jake asked with a grin, not even looking up.

"Shut up," Nathan growled.

"Oh, but this is way too much fun," Jake said, finally lifting his eyes to look at Haley. "I bet she's not even wearing a bra," he whispered tauntingly.

Nathan felt his jaw start to tick, but he didn't rise to the bait.

Jake squinted his eyes as if trying to see better. "And it looks like…wow."

"What?" Nathan said quickly.

Jake shrugged then returned to his mints and mesh fabric. "No pantylines," he commented. "Hundred bucks says she's going commando."

Nathan threw his mints down then stood up so quickly that his chair tumbled over. He bent over to right it and then started to stalk away.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked innocently.

Nathan spun around. "None of your business!" he fired back.

Jake grinned to himself. "Don't use all the cold water."

777

"Do you like my dress?" Maddie asked as soon as she reached Haley. She lifted up the bottom half and spun around.

"I _love_ it," Haley assured the little girl, picking her up and showering her face with kisses until she started laughing. Not realizing until then how much she'd missed the sound, she squeezed the little girl closer to her.

"My Grammie bought it for me. We went shopping, and _I_ got to pick it out," she said proudly. "It's your power color."

"I noticed," Haley said with a grin.



At the sound of her name, she looked up. Brooke was heading towards her at top speed. "Thank God you made it!" she said, inspecting Haley's appearance. "Oh, good. You _did_ get your eyebrows done," she said.

Haley laughed. "I told you I was going to," she said.

Brooke nodded then walked around Haley, lifting her hair up for a closer look. "And a trim. Nice," she said.

"Brooke, I'm not up for auction," Haley teased.

"No, but you're up for bridesmaidness!" Brooke reminded her seriously.

Haley laughed. "I missed you, Brooke."

Brooke grinned at her friend. "How's the tour?"

Haley shook her head. "This is _your_ weekend, not mine," she said firmly, putting Maddie down when she started wiggling in her arms. She was clearly bored with the conversation. Haley watched as she ran towards Laney and Jenny.

"Fine. So it's all about me," Brooke said. "And I want to know—how are you, Haley?" she asked softly.

Haley grinned at her friend. "I'm fine," she said.

"Haley."

"I _am_," she insisted.

"You're not missing Nathan at all?" Brooke pressed.

Haley's eyes instantly flew to him. Big mistake. His eyes met hers and she quickly looked away. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and returned her gaze to her friend. "Of course I miss Nathan," she confessed. "But _he_ pushed _me_ away, Brooke. Not the other way around. I can't _force_ myself on him."

Brooke grinned. "Something tells me he'd _like_ that."

Haley nudged her friend with her elbow. "Stop!" she warned.

777

"Well," Mouth said, looking up from sorting through the music that was going to be played at the Scott reception.

"What?" Rachel asked half heartedly, flipping through a stack of CD's.



Her husband grinned. "It looks like I'm not the only geek in this place with a princess on his arm," he remarked.

Rachel's eyes flew to the door, and before Mouth knew what was going on, her head was in his lap "Shit! They weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow," she whispered urgently.

"It's not that I don't like this position," Mouth said dryly. "But I'd rather not meet your parents like _this_," he said.

"This is what we're going to do," she told him, already scheming. "We're just going to wait until Brooke notices them and then while she's talking to them…we're going to make a run—"

"Rachel Marissa Gattina! What on _Earth_ is going on here?"


	61. Chapter 61

"I asked you a question, young lady!" Katherine Gattina reminded her daughter.

Sitting up, Rachel cleared her throat. "Hello, Mother," she said nervously.

Her mother looked Mouth up and down. "Is this the gold digger?" she asked rudely.

"Mother—" Rachel started, but her jaw snapped shut when she saw the look on her face.

"If we're lucky, it's not too late to get an annulment," Katherine said as if it was a simple business matter that needed to be dealt with.

Rachel gasped and sprung to her feet, pulling her husband with her. "I am not annulling my marriage!" she said heatedly. "I happen to _love_ my husband! If there's an annulment of any sort, it will be because I've found a way to get _you_ out of my life!"

"Love and marriage do _not _always go hand in hand!' her mother spat.

"Maybe not in your world," Rachel said softly. "But they do in mine."

"Your father and I have done nothing but keep you sitting in the lap of luxury! And this is how we're repaid? You ungrateful little—"

Mouth's arm flew protectively over his wife's shoulders and he took a step backward, pulling her with him as if to shield her from her mother's unkind words.

Mrs. Gattinas' eyes shot daggers at him. "I don't know who you think you are—" she started.

Mouth interrupted before she could finish. "I'm your son in law," he said gently, but firmly. "Like it or not, I'm your son in law," he repeated. "And I _have_ been for the last two months. Had you been home at all in that time, you _could_ have met me earlier," he said pointedly. "But you were too busy gallivanting all over the planet to take the time to see your own daughter. Or even _call _her." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rachel swallow past the lump of sorrow in her throat.

Mrs. Gattina stood there not knowing what to say. It wasn't every day that someone tried to put her in her place. "_My_ family—is _none_ of your business," she said scathingly.

"_Rachel_—is _my_ family now," Mouth corrected her. "And _my_ family—does this thing called sticking around."

"You're not making a very good impression," Rachel whispered with nervous laughter.

He turned to face her. "I'm not trying to," he informed her, giving her hand a squeeze.

"When you called me from the plane, I thought this was a terrible joke," Katherine said, turning to her daughter. "Can you imagine my surprise when I walked in and saw _this?_"

"Saw what, Mother? Me...happy?"

"If you wanted was another fling, Rachel, why didn't you just have one?" she asked.

"Mouth isn't a fling," she asserted.

Her mother laughed viciously. "Your husbands name is Mouth?"

Rachel shook her head. "Leave it to you to try and make me miserable at my best friends wedding." She turned to her husband. "Excuse me," she said softly, then turned and walked away.

777

"So, do you have your vows written yet?" Nathan asked, taking a sip of his beer. Jake, Skills, and Luke had all snuck off to the bar in the hotel with him. They'd needed a break from all of the wedding mumbo-jumbo.

Lucas shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "I'm thinking I'm going to wing it."

Jake cocked an eyebrow. "Wing your wedding vows?" he asked dryly.

Lucas shrugged. "It's better than listening to my bride screaming through them because she's giving birth," he shot back.

"The man has a point," Nathan agreed with a grin.

Skills grinned. "It doesn't matter what you say, as long as you say something. She'll love it no matter what," he assured Lucas.

"Speaking of love…" Lucas said turning to Nathan. "So, you saw Haley?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "What does that have to do with love?"

"Well, I thought you loved her," Luke said.

"And I thought she loved me. As it turns out, she loves music more."

"Dude—you _drove_ her away," Skills said.

Nathan gave him a dirty look. "What the hell do you know?"

Skills sighed. "Peyton and Bevin are attached at the hip now," he reminded Nathan. "And Peyton tells Bevin everything. And you know my Bev. I love the girl, but she hasn't shut up since I met her. So whatever Peyton knows, I know it, too."

"Great," Nathan muttered.

"There are gonna be a lot of hot guys at this wedding," Skills said matter-of-factly.

Jake nodded in agreement. "And our Haley is ripe for the picking," he concluded.

Lucas nodded, too. "We should probably get her a stick," he said.

Skills gave him a confused look.

Lucas sighed. "To fight them off with," he explained.

"Oh. Gotcha," Skills said.

"It's not gonna work," Nathan said.

"What's not?" Skills, Jake, and Lucas all asked at the same time with feigned innocence.

Nathan took a deep breath. "She can do whatever she wants to do," he said cynically.

"Or _who_ever," Jake corrected.

Nathan's eyes lifted to Jakes. "She's not like that," he snapped.

Jake shrugged. "You never know," he disagreed.

"_I _know," Nathan said. "And you know what else I know?"

"What?" Jake asked.

"You guys are really pissing me off," he informed them.

777

"Your mother is stifling, Rachel."

"Brooke, she is not!"

"You're not the same when she's around," Peyton said softly.

"She's just disappointed in me," Rachel defended her mother.

"No offense, Rachel," Brooke said. "But your mother has been disappointed in you since I met you! In the fourth grade!"

The door to the ladies room swung open and Haley walked in. "Brooke! Everyone is looking for you!" she scolded her friend. When no one said anything, Haley looked around at her friends. It was then she noticed that Rachel's eyes were red and puffy. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Rachel's mother stifles her," Peyton whispered.

"She does not!" Rachel argued.

Haley wrinkled her nose. "Actually, she does," she said honestly.

"How would you know?" Rachel asked. "You've never even met my mother.

Haley took a deep breath. "In all the time I've known you, Rachel, your mother has called you _once_."

Rachel looked at her expectantly. "Yeah. So again I ask what do _you_ know?"

"You barely said a word for three days after that conversation," Haley said gently.

"Why are you defending her?" Brooke asked.

"She's my _mother_," Rachel said protectively.

"Yes, she's your mother," Brooke agreed. "And unfortunately for most of us, we can't choose them. We're stuck with them. But we don't have to defend them. Especially when they've been bitches to us for most of our lives!"

Rachel visibly flinched at Brooke's harsh words. "Are you talking about your mother or mine?" she asked.

Brooke sighed. "Yours. But I have to admit, I am still a little skeptical about my mother and her motives."

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked.

"I have to wonder if this is a charade or if my mother really is trying to change," she said, then shook her head. "But this isn't about me! This is about Rach." She turned back to her friend. "What can I do to make this easier for you?" she asked.

"Nothing," Rachel told her friend honestly. "My mother is nothing if not…my mother," she said dryly. "She's going to be who she is." Rachel groaned and used the tissue she was holding to wipe her eyes. "I can't believe I'm in the bathroom crying at your wedding!" she exclaimed. "This is so junior prom!"

Brooke giggled and wrapped an arm around her friend. "Except that you aren't going to end up in bed with Bobbie Jacobs," she reminded her friend.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "What was I thinking?" she asked out loud.

"I'm afraid that will forever remain a mystery, my friend," Brooke said. "Are we OK to go back out there?" she asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "I left my poor husband alone with his mother in law. If he _doesn't_ want an annulment after this, that in itself will be a miracle," she joked.

Brooke and Rachel left the bathroom and Peyton and Haley made their own way out behind them.

777

Three hours later, Brooke had just put her pajama's on and was settling in for bed when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and didn't recognize the number, but hit the button to answer anyway. When she hung up five minutes later, she wished she had never answered it. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes and she fled from her room to the one across the hall. She pounded on the door until it opened. When it did, she flung herself at Lucas' chest and clung to him for dear life, sobbing all the while.

Lucas immediately stiffened then quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her. "Brooke?" he said softly.

"The wedding is off again!" she wailed.

He pulled her further into his room so they wouldn't disturb any of the other guests and then shut the door. "Baby?" he said carefully. "Did something happen?"

She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. "Yes, Lucas! Something happened!"

He waited for her to answer. "What?" he asked when she didn't.

"The van carrying our cake was rear ended and our wedding cake was ruined."

Lucas shrugged. "So we'll make another cake," he said offhandedly.

"Lucas! This isn't about the cake. Don't you see?" she asked shrilly. "This is a sign!"

"Brooke, it's not a sign," he told her patiently, wondering once again why all the females surrounding him had to be so full of drama.

"Yes it is!" she argued.

"Fine—it is," he gave in. "It's a sign that if we can make it through _this_, we can make it through anything!" he said vigorously.

"Lucas—" she started, and then abruptly stopped. Her jaw snapped shut, but only for a second. "I never thought of it that way," she said wondrously.

Lucas nodded enthusiastically. "All we need now is a plan," he told her.

"Right," she said with a nod. "I'm going to round up the girls. You round up the guys," she told him.

"Where are we meeting?" he asked.

Brooke shrugged. "Right back in here," she told him.

"Right," he said, as they left the room and went their separate ways.

777

Throwing on her short robe, Haley walked down the hall to Lucas' hotel room. She'd been wearing the shortest nighty she owned when the pounding had started on her hotel room door and she wasn't about to go prancing down the hall in _that_—hence the robe. But she was too tired to realize that the robe was the same length as her nighty, so it did nothing to cover her up more. Yawning, she made her way into the room. When her mouth closed, her eyes opened and then widened. Looking around, she realized that Nathan was the only other person in the room. He was sitting there, his hair spiking out in all directions, and only one word sprung to Haley's mind. _Yummy_. It quickly left at Nathan's question.

"How's _Chris_?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed and she stalked forward, then slapped him on the back of the head. "That felt so good," she said with a sigh, sitting down beside him.

"What the hell was _that _for?" Nathan asked.

"_That _was for insinuating that anything was going on with Chris and me," she informed him.

"Oh, come on, Haley," he said. "You guys are all alone on that tour bus going all over the country. Are you telling me that there's nothing going on with the two of you?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I'm not telling you _that_," she said. "I'm saying that whatever _is_ going on with Chris and I is none of your business," she said, studying his face. She saw a flash of anger cross his features and smiled victoriously. Before either of them could say a word, Rachel and Mouth walked in, clearly not having been sleeping, but in bed.

Haley grinned. "Nice," she said as Rachel sat down next to her.

Rachel giggled. "You don't know the half of it," she said.

Mouth nodded in triumph and grinned at Nathan, who rolled his eyes.

Peyton and Jake walked in and Peyton had a scowl on her face. "We _just _got Jeyton to sleep," she grumbled. "Does anyone know what in the hell is going on?"

Everyone shook their heads. "No idea," Nathan said as Lucas and Brooke flew into the room, shutting the door behind them.

"_What _is going on?" she snapped.

"Chill, P. Sawyer," Brooke told her. "We sort of have an emergency."

"What's 'sort of' mean?" Haley asked.

Lucas cleared his throat. "The van carrying our wedding cake was in an accident and our cake was ruined."

Rachel's hand flew to her mouth and she gasped. "Oh, no! What are you going to do?"

"That's why _you're_ here," Brooke told them. "We need to do some brainstorming. Any ideas?"

Rachel shook her head. "There's nothing open this late for cake shops or bakeries. Even in L.A.," she said.

Brooke nodded. "That's what we thought," she said. "It looks like our only option is to buy cake mix and have a…" Brooke swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Sheet cake," she finished, choking on her tears.

"Not necessarily," Haley said softly.

All eyes in the room were on her. But only one set of them was making her nervous. She cleared her throat. "Among the many things my sister has done, she spent some time baking and designing wedding cakes. Brooke, do you have a picture of the cake?" she asked.

Brooke nodded enthusiastically.

"Good," Haley said. "And can you get a hold of the place that made your cake?"

Again, Brooke nodded.

"Great," Haley said. "If you can get all the pieces that you need to put the cake together and the bride and groom cake topper, I think I can make the cake for you. With tons of phone help from Tay, of course," she amended.

"Really?" Brooke asked.

Haley nodded and looked at Rachel. "Ready for an all night bake?" she asked.

"Why _me_?" Rachel asked.

"Brooke is getting married tomorrow and we don't want circles under her eyes, and Peyton has an infant to take care of."

Rachel sighed. "Fine," she conceded.

"Oh, Haley," Brooke said, pulling her friend to her feet. "You are such a lifesaver!"

As Haley lifted her arms to hug Brooke, her nighty rode higher and Nathan was blessed with a generous view of Haley's thighs. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and tried to look away, but it didn't work. His eyes kept going back to her legs.

"We're going back to bed before Jey wakes up again," Peyton said as she and Jake left the room.

"And I need to go shower before we get to work on this cake," Rachel said, pulling her husband along behind her out of the room.

"I need to go call Tay and warn her that it's going to be a long night!" Haley said as she started leaving the room.

"Nice legs, James," Nathan said.

She spun around. "In your dreams, Scott," she said, remember that this wasn't the first time they'd had this exchange.

_The girls were fast asleep and Peyton woke up to the feel of someone staring at her. She opened her eyes and almost fell of the bed. She gasped, startled, and sat up none too gracefully, elbowing Brooke in the process. Three sets of eyes were staring at her from her bedroom doorway. "Hey, Peyton," Jake said. Lucas and Nathan were standing next to him grinning. _

"_Peyton, who is—"Brooke never finished her sentence. As she rolled over and onto her back, she caught sight of the guys in the doorway. She quickly sat up. "What the hell?" Her eyes left the guys in the doorway and flew to Peyton's. She laughed. "Haley is gonna kill you."_

_Haley, still lying down, started rubbing her eyes, completely unaware of what was going on. "You guys, what's with all the noise?" She sat up and followed Brooke's gaze to the doorway. Her eyes widened. Peyton and Brooke both looked at her, not sure if they should speak._

_Luke was the one to break the silence. "You guys wanna move in with us? We have an extra room. You guys could share it. And…we…could watch."_

_Haley jumped up from the bed and tugged her suddenly even shorter nighty down as far as it would go, then stalked to the door. She stopped at Lucas, who was holding a cardboard tray with three Styrofoam coffee cups and pulled one out. "Umm…that one is actually—" he stopped at her glare, "yours. That one is yours," he told her. "Enjoy."_

_Haley looked at Jake. "We want our key back!" she snapped. She started walking furiously to her room._

"_Nice legs, James," Nathan called out._

_Haley rolled her eyes and kept walking. "In your dreams, Scott."_

"_I've been enjoying every second of them lately."_

Haley sighed at the memory as she made her way into her hotel room and searched for her cell phone. This was going to be a long night. Not to mention a long _weekend_. If Nathan didn't stop looking so damn sexy, no amount of sarcasm on her part was going to be enough to keep him at arms length. She was going to _have_ to have him.

_Author's note: In the next chapter, Lucas and Brooke will finally make it to the altar! But what…if anything…will happen with Nathan and Haley?_

_Thanks again for all of your reviews! I love reading them! They're what keeps this story going!_


	62. Chapter 62

At six o'clock the next morning, a very tired Haley and Rachel were walking down the hallway to their hotel rooms. They'd been up all night working on the cake. Most of that time was spent waiting for it to cool so they could cut it into the proper shapes and then frost and decorate it. It hadn't turned out exactly like the picture, but both girls were pleased with the finished product.

Haley let out a yawn. "I haven't pulled an all nighter like that in a long time!" she exclaimed.

At Rachel's giggle, Haley turned to look at her.

"What?" she asked in an amused tone.

Rachel looked at her. "That used to be my entire lifestyle," she explained. "But the last time I pulled an all nighter, it was because I was flying to Vegas to get married." She smiled wistfully. "It was the best all nighter of my entire life."

"OK, if this sounds corny, I blame lack of sleep, but…I'm really glad Mouth found you, Rachel," Haley said softly.

"Thanks," Rachel said her voice full of emotion. "I'm glad _I_ found _him_, too."

Haley smiled at her and then yawned again. "If we can get to sleep right now, we can probably get a few hours in before Brooke wakes up."

"Good idea," Rachel agreed.

Just as they neared Rachel's hotel room door, the one to Brooke's opened. She walked out all bright eyed and bushy tailed. She was obviously fully rested, having showered and dressed already. "Happy 'My Wedding Day!'" she said in a sing-song voice.

Rachel groaned and looked at Haley. "You were saying?"

Haley let out a fake sob. "Brooke, why are you up so early?" she asked in a whiney voice.

"There's lots to be done!" she reminded them. "There are so many finishing touches that have to be put on things, and you know how I am. By the way, when can I see the cake?"

"When it's set up," Haley said.

Brooke laughed and then sobered at her friends' expressions. "Are you kidding?"

"No, we're not kidding. _You,_ soon to be Mrs. Scott, are just going to have to trust your friends," Rachel said.

"You want me to trust you on my wedding day?" she asked incredulously.

Haley grinned. "We want you to trust us every day," she teased. "Look, we worked really hard on the cake Brooke, and you're going to love it."

"Haley James, I don't know if I can do this," Brooke said impatiently.

Rachel grinned. "You can," she assured her friend. "Think of it as part of our wedding present to you. And we absolutely forbid you to open it early," she said, patting Brooke on the cheek.

Brooke took a deep breath. "Fine. But only because I don't have time to argue. There's just too much to do," she said.

Haley sighed. "What do you want _us_ to do?" she asked begrudgingly.

Brooke grinned. "I want you to get some sleep."

"Really?" they asked at the same time, voices filled with relief.

"Really," Brooke said. "I'm mostly going to be supervising the wedding crew anyway, and I can do that on my own. And after all you guys have done for me, I think you deserve some sleep." She looked at her watch. "OK, it's six o'clock," she said to herself, then looked back up at her friends. "Be up by noon and in the hall by one to help with things," she ordered.

Brooke was assaulted with big hugs from both the girls. "Thank you so much!" Haley said.

Rachel sighed. "I swear, if Lucas wasn't marrying you, I'd be next in line."

Brooke laughed. "Well, he is," she said dreamily, pulling away from them. "So you're out of luck, Rachel. Good thing Mouth married ya."

"Good thing," Rachel said, heading for her hotel room to get some sleep as Haley headed for her own.

Humming softly to herself, Brooke quickly continued on her way down the hall.

777

At four-thirty that afternoon, Haley, Rachel, Peyton, Maddie, Jenny, and Laney were all in one of the rooms at the basement of a small church getting ready for the six o'clock ceremony. Haley couldn't help but notice how calm Brooke seemed only an hour and a half before her wedding. She had a feeling that Lucas had a lot to do with that and was thankful that her friend was marrying someone who was able to keep her so well balanced.

Rachel was fixing Brooke's hair while Haley and Peyton were fixing Jenny's and Maddie's. Laney was sitting at Brooke's feet with her chin in her hands. "You look so beauty-ful, Brooke," she said, looking up at her in awe.

Brook reached down and tenderly cupped the little girls' cheek. "Thank-you," she said softly. Then she smiled at her soon to be daughter. "Do you know what today is?" she asked.

Laney nodded enthusiastically. "Today is the day that you and Daddy are getting married," she said excitedly. "Daddy says after today, you're going to be ours _forever_!" She let out a little squeal.

Brooke couldn't help but laugh. "I already am," she assured the little girl.

"Haley, are you going to fix my hair _just _like yours?" Maddie asked.

"I'm going to try," she promised.

"I'm so glad my dress is pink," Laney sighed.

Brooke grinned. "A promise is a promise, and I _did_ promise you a pink dress," she said.

"There," Haley said, a few minutes later. "All done."

She handed Maddie the mirror, and Maddie looked from her reflection to Haley and then back again. She nodded, satisfied that her hair looked like Haley's, then jumped down off the stool she'd been sitting on. She walked over to the door. "Where are you going?" Haley asked.

"I'm going to go see if I can find Daddy," she said.

"He'll see how pretty you look when you walk down the aisle," Haley told her.

"I know," the little girl said. "But I want to ask him if you can be ours forever," she said, disappearing through the doorway.

Haley's eyes filled with tears and she bit her lower lip.

"I'm on it," Peyton said, quickly exiting the room to go after Maddie. Jenny was right behind her, followed by Laney. Apparently all of the little girls wanted to know if Nathan was going to keep Haley.

"It's OK, buddy," Brooke said softly.

"I know," Haley whispered. She looked around until she found a box of tissues and snagged one. She wiped at the tears that were flowing softly down her cheeks. "I'm crying…mostly for Maddie," she said.

"Liar," Rachel said softly.

Haley choked on a sob. "Yeah, I'm a liar," she said, sitting down on the stool Maddie had just vacated. "Dammitt, I thought I was done with this," she said in frustration.

"Done with what?" Brooke asked.

"Being emotional over a guy. How pathetic am I?" she asked.

"You're not pathetic at all," Brooke told her fervently. "Nathan broke your heart. It hasn't even been a month, Haley. Give yourself a break."

Haley nodded then stood up. She smoothed the skirt on her bridesmaid dress. "I'm going to go get a little bit of air," she said, exiting the room.

Brooke turned back to the mirror as Rachel continued to pin her hair. "I don't know about that one," she said quietly.

Brooke bit her lower lip, worried about her friend. Haley had put on a brave face ever since she'd arrived, but Brooke knew she was still hurting. She just hadn't been aware of how much.

"That girl doesn't have walls around her heart, she's got a freaking fortress!" Rachel said.

"We can thank my future brother in law for _that_," Brooke said bitterly.

Rachel nodded just as a ringing started. She looked around and saw Haley's cell phone on a table in the room. She snagged it up and flipped it open. "Hello?" she said, cradling it between her shoulder and chin, returning to Brooke's hair.

"Hello. This is Lydia Thomaston from the admissions office at the University of Maine. I'm just calling to confirm a two o'clock appointment for Haley James next Tuesday regarding a student transfer."

Stunned, Rachel didn't say a word, just pulled the phone away from her ear and snapped it shut.

"Who was that?" Brooke asked.

Rachel quickly recovered, and pasted a smile on her face. She shrugged. "Some automated line," she lied. "Probably a stupid credit card company. You know how annoying they can be."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed.

Rachel's mind was going a mile a minute as she tried to focus on the task at hand. But it was impossible with this new piece of information. _Haley wasn't coming back to Tree Hill University in the fall?_

777

Haley had made her way around the back of the church and was looking down at some rose bushes. She looked longingly at the bench beside them, but she knew that if she sat down, her dress would get dirty and Brooke would kill her. "You look amazing," she heard from behind.

Even though she recognized the voice, it startled her. She quickly spun around and saw Nathan standing there in his tuxedo. He looked perfect, of course. He had just the right amount of gel in his hair to make it look styled but not wet, and his tux graced his body just the way a tux was made to fit a man. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Peyton told me I could find you out here. Getting cold feet?" he teased with a grin.

_You have no idea_, she thought, her mouth suddenly dry. She just stared at him not saying a word. She didn't trust her voice not to falter.

His grin disappeared and he put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I was out of line last night when I made the Chris comment," he admitted.

She almost smiled at the way he said Chris' name, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. But she didn't. "Yes, you were," she said quietly.

"It's none of my business," he said.

She laughed in disbelief. "You're sorry because it's none of your business?" she asked in a hard voice. She hadn't raised her voice, but it was clear that she was angry.

"Well…yeah," he said with a shrug. "What did you think I was going to say?"

Haley shook her head. "I don't know, Nathan. I have absolutely no idea _what_ is going on in that head of yours. One day you want to marry me, the next you push me off on tour—"

"And you went," he said.

"What?!"

"You could have stayed," he said softly.

"For _what?_" she asked.

"For me," he said stubbornly.

"I wanted to stay and be with you and Maddie, but you insisted I go."

"And then you _did_," he said angrily.

"What did you _want_ me to do?" she asked. Now her voice was rising.

"I wanted you to stay for us no matter what," he said.

Haley studied his face for a minute and collected her thoughts before speaking. "I played games with Drew for _four_ years," she told him. She lifted a hand to run through her hair, before realizing it was already fixed for the wedding. Instead, she rested the palm of her hand on her forehead. "I thought with you, things were different. I thought with you, we were honest and up front with each other. I didn't realize that that was a one way street, Nathan!" She lifted her skirt and started to walk away, then stopped and turned back around. "And I _thought_ you were apologizing for insinuating that anything was going on with Chris and me. I _thought _that maybe you had realized that after what _we_ had, there was no way I could even _think_ of wanting any one else!" She choked on a sob. "Not because 'if there _was_ something going on, it was none of your business,'" she said miserably.

Haley hastily made her way around the corner of the building before the tears started to fall again. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, but it wasn't enough. She frantically looked around for something to lean on and settled for the side of the church.

For just this moment—Haley didn't give a damn about her dress.

_Author's Note: More to come with the Brucas wedding! I thought I was going to be able to fit it all in one chapter, but I was wrong. It's probably going to be at least another two or three chapters before we're back in Tree Hill!_


	63. Chapter 63

_Instead of describing Brooke's wedding dress, I thought it would be more fun to show it to you. If you go to my profile, you can click the link that will take you to how I imagine the dress looks. The trim on the dress pops up in a red color, but I picture it with black trim. If you hit the black box under swatches, you'll get an accurate picture of the dress she's wearing in the story. I'll also include the dress that I picture Peyton, Haley and Rachel to be wearing._

_And can I just say how hard it is to write wedding vows! Holy smokes! There's a fine line between sincerity and cheesy. I hope I landed somewhere on the side of the sincerity line. LOL As always thanks again for taking the time to read and for all of your reviews!_

Brooke Davis closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. "You OK?" her father asked.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Yeah, I am," she said sincerely. Thanks to what Haley and Rachel had going on now, Brooke hadn't had time for pre-wedding jitters, something she was very thankful for. She felt bad for her friends, but their problems had really helped to clear her mind regarding her own relationship and she was very thankful to be marrying Lucas today. Her father took a step back as Peyton, Haley, and Rachel approached. Rachel took a deep breath. "This is it," she said softly.

Brooke bit her lower lip and nodded, forbidding any tears from falling. She was not going to ruin her make up on her wedding day.

Haley looked at her friend and her own eyes filled with tears. "You look beautiful," she said, taking in the sight of her friend before her. Brooke had decided against a veil, instead having styled her hair so that it was pinned back from one side of her face, her curls cascading down over the opposite shoulder.

Peyton grinned at her friend. "You picked a good one, Brooke," she assured her. "And hey—you're getting down the altar before you're knocked up, so that's always a good thing," Peyton teased.

Brooke laughed. "I guess I'm one up on you," she joined in.

"I guess you are," Peyton said softly.

"It's time," Jake announced, bringing the girls moment to an end.

Brooke nodded, immediately taking charge again. "OK, every one. Take your places."

Jake and Peyton stood at the very front of the procession, followed by Haley and Mouth, then Rachel, the maid of honor. After that, Maddie and Jenny would be walking down the aisle dropping pink rose petals, and behind them, Laney would follow with a basket of white rose petals, leading the way for Brooke and her father.

When their cue came, Jake and Peyton started down the aisle, genuine smiles pasted on their faces. "So," Jake said his lips barely moving. "I found that black silky thing in your suitcase," he informed her.

"Is that so?" she asked, facing forward, her chin lifted.

"That is so," Jake told her. "You gonna wear it for me?"

She nodded imperceptibly, but Jake saw it from the corner of his eye.

"When are you going to wear it for me?" he asked.

"Your parents are going to keep Jenny and Jey in their room tonight," she told him.

"Really?" he asked.

Neither of them said anything for a few steps.

"Oh, and Jake?" she said innocently.

"Yeah?"

"When you take it off me, no slowly sliding it down my shoulders. I want you tear the damn thing off me like you haven't had me forever," she told him, biting her lower lip as he stumbled beside her. She moved her hips slightly so he wouldn't trip on the black fabric of her dress that was resting on the floor as they made their way to the front of the church.

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem," he assured her. _Is my tux shrinking?_ he thought, suddenly uncomfortable.

777

Haley placed her arm through Mouth's as they got ready to start down the aisle. She couldn't help but feel a quick stab of jealousy when she saw him look back and give his wife a lusty grin. She turned around in time to see Rachel's cheeks pinken slightly, then slap him on his butt as he walked through the doors and started down the aisle. Haley put a smile on her face and kept her pace beside him. She sighed. "I want what you have, Mouth," she told him.

"What's that?" he teased. "Spiky hair and a goofy grin?"

Haley smiled weakly. "Not that," she whispered.

"You'll have it some day, Haley," he assured her. "And trust me, it's worth the wait," he confided.

He noticed her eyes fill up with tears she refused to shed. He tightened his grip on her reassuringly and gave her arm a squeeze. His new roommate had quickly become one of his best friends, and he hated the thought of her heart hurting. "But you thought you'd already found it," he said softly.

Haley nodded once.

Mouth sighed. "I'm sorry, Haley," he said.

"Me, too," she said softly, trying to keep her gaze to the left of Lucas. If she were to look to his right, she'd see Nathan. And she was afraid she wouldn't be able to take her eyes off of him. Had she looked, she would have found his gaze fixed steadily on her.

777

Brooke watched as Rachel entered the sanctuary of the church and made her way down the aisle, then instructed Maddie and Jenny down the aisle. As they took off, she lifted her skirt and moved down to Laney's level. She smiled at her soon-to-be daughter. "This is it, Laney," she said softly. "In a little while, you're going to be my daughter _forever_," she said.

"And you'll be my mommy?" Laney asked.

Brooke nodded.

"Forever," Laney said emphatically.

Brooke nodded again and kissed Laney on the cheek. "I love you, Blue," she said.

Laney grinned. "I love you, too, Brookie," she said excitedly.

"It's time," Brooke said, watching as Laney turned around and led the way down the aisle.

She straightened and smoothed the skirt of her dress, then smiled at her father as he handed her a full bouquet of pink roses.

"Do we need to have the sex talk?" he asked with mock seriousness.

Unexpected laughter bubbled up her throat. "You're just a little too late for that, Dad," she told him.

"Well, how about the part where I tell you that you picked one hell of a man?" he asked.

She nodded. "We could have that talk," she agreed.

He squeezed her arm. "You picked a good guy, Brooke," he told her tenderly. "I'm so proud of you."

"Daddy—" she started, and then stopped as his eyes filled with tears. She tried to swallow past the sudden lump of emotion in her throat.

"I can't remember the last time you called me Daddy," he said, then took a deep breath. "You grew up so fast, Brooke. And all by yourself," he said regretfully. "I'm sorry for that." There was a short pause. "But I'm glad to be here for this."

"Me, too, Daddy," she whispered just as the sound of the organ rose. She took a deep breath as she heard the people in the sanctuary stand up.

"You ready?" her father asked with a gentle smile.

"I am," she said earnestly.

777

As Lucas watched his daughter walk down the aisle and drop clumps of rose petals with the utmost care, he couldn't help but smile. He didn't think his heart could be any fuller. But then the bridal march began and his eyes flew to the open doors at the back of the church. The space had been vacant just a moment ago, but now Brooke and her father were filling it. His eyes met hers and he grinned widely, unable to keep the emotion from his face. And he didn't want to. He started to take a step towards her then felt his brothers hand on his arm.

"Down boy," Nathan said with a grin.

Lucas couldn't help but laugh at himself. He'd been so excited to see Brooke, that he'd almost took off down the aisle to drag her up there with him. It was if they were miles apart instead of mere yards. He had thought that as the wedding approached, he might feel some nervousness, but all he felt was anticipation. He wanted Brooke Davis to become his wife, and he wanted it _now_, not in the twenty minutes it was going to take. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm.

Brooke had never looked so beautiful. He took her in from head to toe. Her dress looked as if it had been made especially for her, the way a brides dress was supposed to look, and her long hair was cascading in curls down her left shoulder. She looked down at her flowers, then lifted her head and smiled at him. He felt his heart skip a beat and was filled with relief as her father deposited her next to him. As the minister began her reading, Lucas turned to his bride and took her hands in his. They smiled at each other, barely hearing the words being spoken. They did whatever it was that was asked of them, repeated when it was necessary and exchanged rings when it was time. But their vows were the highlight of the ceremony. For each other as well as their guests.

For the first time since the ceremony began, Brooke was nervous. "Lucas, when I came to Tree Hill, it was because I was looking…for a simpler life." She laughed nervously. "But I found out that—what they say is true. When you least expect it, love _does _find you. When you and Laney came tumbling into my life, the last thing I expected was that before I knew it, I'd be a wife and a mother. I didn't even know it was what I wanted. But _you_ knew." She smiled softly at him. "I think you knew from the first moment we met…that we were going to end up _right_ here." She felt him squeeze her hands, encouraging her to continue. "You know me better than I know me. You know what I need better than I know what I need. And I love you for that, Lucas. And I love you for choosing me. For you, and for Laney."

After a short pause, the minister turned to Lucas. "Lucas?" she prompted softly.

"You're right," he told Brooke. "I knew from the first moment I met you that we were going to end up right here. But convincing _you_ of that was another matter entirely," he teased as their guests and wedding party laughed. He took a deep breath. "I thought it was going to be just Laney and me for a long time. And I was content with that. I even _wanted _that. And then you came along. And we weren't content anymore being alone. Once you've been loved by someone, it's hard to let that go. And we were lucky enough to be loved by you. There was no way we were going to let you go." Lucas took a deep breath, and his eyes filled with tears. Like he had done for her, she squeezed his hands in support. "Brooke, I can't wait to fall asleep at night so I can wake up the next morning and have another day to _spend_ with you. I'm looking forward to _all_ of our tomorrows. I'm looking forward to being a family," he finished.

The minister moved the ceremony along until finally, Lucas got to kiss his bride. He looked down at her, and recognized the love shining in her eyes, knowing it was reflected in his own. He reached down and framed her face with his hands, then slowly leaned toward her. He heard her sigh in contentment as she lifted her hands to rest them on his. He smiled softly at her as his lips touched hers, ever so lightly. He lingered only for a moment, and then he lifted his head.

"Daddy, is Brookie ours to keep now?" Laney asked loudly.

Lucas laughed. "Yeah, Blue. She's ours," he said softly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Scott," the minister announced. Brooke linked her arm through Lucas' as they started down the aisle. Lucas stopped, and with his other arm, scooped Laney up.

"What do you think, Laney?" Brooke asked as they made their way down the aisle.

Laney grinned. "I think we're a family now," she said cheerfully.

_Author's Note: Hello! _

_I just wanted to respond to one of the reviews I received last chapter. It was regarding Peyton and Haley's decisions to leave Tree Hill. While it's true Peyton was running away form heartache, that wasn't Haley's motivation at all. In a previous conversation (I can't remember if it was with Brooke or Peyton) Haley said that she had always intended to leave Tree Hill for the summer until Nathan. She was in love with him and willing to stay because of that. And while it's true that Haley left now, it's not because Nathan broke her heart. I think I established in earlier in the story that Haley was trying to put away as much money as possible for the future. And also when she decided to sing the song with Chris, and I think that it would be keeping in character for her to go where she could save money. And being on tour, she wouldn't have to pay for an apartment or any thing that goes along with that._

_As for transferring Universities, Haley's motivation for that hasn't been revealed yet. But please don't assume that it's because she's running from Nathan or heartache. I think that Haley is stronger than that and to represent her otherwise would be inaccurate on my part to the character. I hope you continue to read. You might be pleasantly surprised!_


	64. Chapter 64

_Hey, guys! This chapter is a bit long, but I needed to get things moving back along so I could get back to Tree Hill. Thanks again so much for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!_

Brooke was absently letting her father lead her around the dance floor during the father/daughter dance. But her gaze was fixed on another couple. They'd decided when making preparations for their special day, that they wanted to include Laney in as much as possible. So while Brooke was dancing with her father, Laney would dance with Lucas. She smiled softly at the sight of them—Laney with her little shiny pink shoes standing on Lucas' polished black ones. She was laughing while he carefully led her around the dance floor.

Brooke lifted her gaze to the head table, where she saw Haley at one end, followed by Peyton, and then Rachel. After the two empty chairs, Nathan was sitting, followed by Jake and then Mouth on the other end. The three girls were in conversation on their end, as were the three guys. As the song wrapped up, the four of them left the floor, and Lucas and Brooke headed back to the head table. "The dance floor is open for everyone now," she said animatedly. When no one moved, she gave a stern glare. "OK," she said impatiently. "I think I've been a very calm bride. And if I do say so myself, very sweet. But it's time for Bride-zilla to make an appearance. Girls—dance floor! Now!" she commanded.

Her three friends groaned, but to their credit, they stood up and made their way to the dance floor with her. Laney, Maddie and Jenny tagged along with them, and when Rachel noticed Lily looking longingly at the girls on the dance floor, she grabbed her away from Karen and pulled her out there with them. They were all dancing together when finally more people made their way onto the floor.

777

Nathan sighed and sat back in his chair, one ankle resting on the opposite knee. "Why the sigh, little brother?" he heard Lucas ask.

"It's just been a long couple of days," he said half-heartedly.

"Or could it be…the sight of Haley and Maddie together makes you a little regretful?" he asked.

"Oh, I definitely think it's the second one," Jake chimed in.

Nathan sighed again as his eyes went to the dance floor. The chicken dance had just started, and Haley, Brooke, Peyton, and Rachel were teaching the girls to move. As Haley shimmied in her dress, Nathan had to swallow past the lump of desire in his throat. It clung to her in all the right places. And if he was being honest—it looked like Haley and Maddie were made to be together. The song finally ended, and he watched as Haley lifted Maddie up and nuzzled her on the neck, then left the dance floor. Much to his delight, Lucas stood up to collect Brooke and then make their rounds to visit the guests at each and every table. Nathan figured that he probably had an hour at least, and it should be fairly easy to shut Jake up without Lucas there to egg him on.

"Well, well, well. What's this?" Jake asked his eyes glued to the dance floor.

_No such luck_, Nathan thought, following Jake's gaze. He swore as he watched a man he hadn't noticed earlier lead Haley onto the dance floor. He lifted a hand to his neck and undid his bowtie, then straightened to attention. He watched them as they danced, only taking his eyes away to make sure that Maddie was sitting with his parents.

Two songs later, Nathan could feel his temperature rising.

"Aren't they cute together?" Jake said in a teasing tone.

"Shut the hell up," Nathan said, abruptly getting to his feet. His chair fell over, but he didn't stop to right it. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was standing beside Haley and her dance partner. "I'm here to cut in," he said firmly.

"We—" the man started.

"I'm here to cut in," Nathan said again in a clipped tone.

Haley gave a slight nod, and after a sigh, the man left the dance floor. And Nathan finally had Haley in his arms again. _Thank God for slow songs, _he thought. "I'm ten thousand kinds of jerks," he told her.

She lifted her gaze to his. "Is that what you came out here for? To tell me something I already know?" She laughed bitterly. "What a wasted trip."

"I should have known there was nothing going on with you and Chris. And…I even think I did. I just wanted to hear you say it."

"So instead of asking me, you decided to do the mature thing and goad me?" she said sarcastically.

Nathan winced. "Well, when you put it like that, I sound like _twenty _thousand kinds of jerks," he joked.

Haley took a deep breath. "What do you want from me, Nathan?" she asked. "Why are you playing nice _now_? Is this one of those things where you don't want me, but you don't want anyone else to have me, either? Because I have to tell you, I hate those kinds of things."

"I never said I didn't want you," Nathan said quickly.

"Yes you did!" she argued.

"When did I ever say that?"

"Well, let me see. The first thing that springs to mind is when you pushed me away to go on tour," she told him.

"That doesn't mean I don't want you," he said softly.

Haley's eyes filled with tears. "You have _got_ to figure out what you want from me, Nathan, because this version of you does _not_ work for me," she said firmly.

He lifted his eyes to her face and wiped at her tears with his thumbs. They came to a standstill on the dance floor. "What version?" he asked.

"This…wishy-washy _you_. You were always so certain of what you wanted from me, and then, all of a sudden, one visit from Chris, and you can't wait to get rid of me," she reminded him.

"I didn't want to hold you back!" he told her.

"Oh, Nathan," she breathed. "You already are." She stepped back so she was out of his reach and he had no choice but to let his hands fall to his sides. She gave him one last pain filled smile and turned around, leaving him standing there alone on the dance floor. Haley quickly made her way to the ladies room and went into the stall for a few pieces of toilet paper. She went to the mirror and sighed as she looked at her reflection. She wiped at the mascara around her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe how things had gotten so far out of hand with Nathan. He'd tried to force her to go on tour with Chris, thinking he was holding her back, when what he was holding her back from was having him and Maddie in her life. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, then opened them again. There was no way she was going to miss her friends' big day because Nathan had upset her. Gathering her courage, she lifted her chin and made her way back to the reception hall.

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"Oh, my God, you guys!" Brooke said as tears filled her eyes. "It's gorgeous!"

Haley and Rachel grinned. They'd forbidden her from checking out the cake until they could be there to see her reaction, and both girls decided right then and there, that every hour of lost sleep was worth it to see the look on their friends face right now.

"How did you do this?" she asked huskily.

Haley grinned. "We had my sister on the phone until all hours of the night," she told her.

"And then we went to get the pieces to put it together this morning, while we were supposed to be sleeping," Rachel explained.

"You guys!" she sighed. "You're the best! It's so…elegant," she said in awe. The cake was three square shaped layers, getting smaller as they reached the upper layer. There were edible pastel flowers that Haley had spent hours perfecting surrounding each layer.

"Thanks," they both said.

"Now if we could find your husband, you could dig in to this masterpiece!" Rachel said.

Brooke grinned. "I have a feeling I know where he is," she said, lifting the skirt of her dress up. "I'll be back in just a few minutes."

777

Brooke walked down the hallway of the hotel until she came to the door with the 'basketball court' sign on it, and pushed it open. She saw Skills and Jake taking on Nate and her new husband, Mouth on the sidelines watching, offering a comment every now and then. She lifted a hand to her mouth, positioned her fingers just right, and let out a shrill whistle. "Hey! Basketbally boys! Can we please get back to my wedding?" she asked in a light tone.

Lucas grinned as he ran towards her. He took her face in his hands and looked down at her. "Have I told you how damn sexy you look today?"

She grinned. "Every time you see me," she said huskily.

"I'd love to just throw those skirts up over your waist and—"

"Lucas!" she scolded him. She slapped him on the arm. "You really shouldn't say things like that to a girl when you can't deliver."

"Oh, I can deliver," he said, his eyes darkening with passion.

"But we have to go cut the cake," she informed him.

"Damn cake!" he said with a sigh. "Let me just get myself back together and—"

"No!" she said quickly.

"What?" he asked confused.

She stood there and took in the sight of him. His bow tie was hanging haphazardly around his neck, the first few buttons of his shirt were undone, and she could make out a light layer of sweat on his chest. Lastly, his cuffs were rolled up a few times, exposing his forearms, which she'd always found incredibly sexy. "I like this look," she told him.

"But they're going to be taking our pictures," Lucas reminded her.

She nodded. "I know. But I don't want to look like a perfect Ken and Barbie when we look at our wedding pictures ten years from now. I want to look like _us_. And I want to remember that when it was time to cut the cake, my husband was off with his groomsmen playing basketball. And that when I found him, he was horny as hell," she said with a wicked grin.

"Oh, you little tease," he said. "Let me grab my coat." He ran back towards the guys, informed them what was going on, then grabbed his coat, and he and Brooke followed the guys out the door. Lucas spied a sign a few doors down while they were on their way back to the reception. "Ahhh…we'll be right there," he said quickly.

Nathan looked over his shoulder at his brother and gave him a puzzled look, but he didn't ask any questions.

Lucas grabbed Brooke and pulled her into a dark room. He snapped the light on and she looked around. "Lucas, what are you doing?"

His lips moved to the side of her neck that her hair was pulled away from and placed a trail of wet kisses there. "I'm delivering," he said gruffly, leaning down and lifting her skirts.

She let out a squeal. "Lucas! We can't do this here!"

He stood up, his hands lifting her skirts to her waist and looked her in the eye. "Remember the last time we were in a janitor's closet?" he asked.

Brooke grinned at him. "Boy, do I ever."

_Lucas had just left class and was walking down the hallway looking at the syllabus in his hand, so it caught him completely off guard when someone grabbed him and pulled him into the janitor's closet, slamming the door shut behind them. "Brooke," he said, surprised. Before he could get another word out, her mouth came hungrily up to his. His backpack fell to the floor, forgotten, and both of his hands came up to rest on her cheeks. He walked slowly forward until Brooke was against the wall, and then he pressed one of his legs between hers until she had no choice but to spread them. He moved in to stand between her thighs. His mouth left hers and moved to concentrate on her neck. He could hear her breathing heavily and she moved her head to the side to allow him better access. "Are you wearing panties?" he asked between gasps._

_He felt her nod her head yes._

"_What color?" he asked._

_He heard her moan._

"_What color?" he repeated when she didn't answer fast enough._

"_Black," she whispered. _

"_Lace?" he asked._

_He felt her nod again, and then her hands came up under his shirt to softly stroke the stiff muscles in his back. As Lucas' hand went to the hem of her shirt to pull it up, she pushed him away. He looked at her, puzzled. He watched as she reached down and lifted her skirt. She brought both hands to her left thigh then tore at the seam on that side of her panties. He stood there, mesmerized by the sight before him. She reached over to the other side and did the same, then pulled them away from her body and pushed them into his hand. _

"_So that you don't forget what you're missing," she said straightening her skirt and then heading for the door. _

_But Lucas was too fast for her. He shoved her panties into his jacket pocket, and then grabbed her arm before she could leave. She looked up at him questioningly as he lifted her up by her upper arms __and placed her on the small counter. He reached for her knees and then pushed them apart. His hand went straight to her center, and when he heard her sharp intake of breath, he knew he'd found what he was looking for. She reached her hands up to his shoulders and squeezed them, anxious for him to continue. As his thumb began to move rhythmically over the sensitive spot, she wiggled her hips trying to get closer to him. When he finally heard her moan, he pulled away. He grabbed her hair and tipped her head back, then plunged his tongue into her mouth for one last kiss. "So that you don't, either," he said with a triumphant gleam in his eyes then left her sitting there unsatisfied. _

Well, **that **certainly didn't go as planned_, Brooke thought, still unable to catch her breath—and fully aroused._

_Fuck, Lucas thought, walking out of the building. He could still smell her. He gave a deep sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was going to be a long six weeks._

"I promise you'll get off this time," he coaxed.

She lifted her hand to the button on his pants. "Well, if you _promise_…"

777

"You had sex!" Rachel whispered, accosting her friend as soon as she walked back into the room where their reception was being held.

Brooke gave Rachel a surprised look.

Rachel grinned at her friend. "You were gone for less than _ten _minutes," she said impressed.

Brooke blushed furiously. "I—I don't know what to say to that."

"Don't say anything," Rachel said. "Just give me a frickin' high five."

Brooke bit her lower lip and slapped her friends hand with her own, and then made her way to the cake table where Lucas was waiting for her. "OK, Broody," she whispered. "What's the deal?"

"No cake on your face or your dress and I get a…present of my choice—in the bedroom—every night for a month," he said with a grin.

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Right," she said. "Good husband."

They cut into the cake together amidst a chorus of "awwws." Lucas fed Brooke her piece of cake, and true to his word, he gently placed the small piece of cake on her tongue when she opened her mouth. Someone yelled for him to look into their camera, and Lucas obeyed, giving a huge grin. Until he felt a big clump of frosting on his cheek. His eyes widened and he looked at his new wife, his eyes dancing. "Game on, Brooke Scott," he warned.

She let out a screech as Lucas grabbed her and rubbed his frosting covered cheek on her neck. "Lucas Scott!" she screamed laughing. "You are in _so _much trouble!"

He lifted his head and looked down into her eyes. "A whole lifetime of it," he said tenderly, so only she could hear him. "And babe, it's going to be so worth it!"

777

"It is _so_ hot on that dance floor!" Rachel said, fanning herself as she and Mouth walked out the front doors of the hotel to cool off.

"Yeah, I haven't danced that much since high school," he said.

"Baby, you have got some serious moves," she told him. "And you know what?" she asked in a low voice.

Mouth swallowed past the lump of desire in his throat. "What?" he asked his voice barely audible.

"I'm gonna let you dance for me every night from now on!" she informed him.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her flush against him. "Rachel McFadden, I'm looking forward to it," he said.

777

"But I'll see you in three sleeps, right?" Laney asked her father.

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. Mommy and I are going to have a few days alone, and then you and Grammie and Keith and Lily are going to meet us in Florida," he assured her.

"And I'll get to see Cinderella?" she asked.

"Yes, baby, you'll get to see Cinderella," Brooke told her, pushing the little girls bangs out of her eyes.

Laney nodded with a sigh. "OK," she said apprehensively.

"We'll call _every_ day," Brooke told her.

Laney bit her bottom lip and nodded again. "OK. And I'll stay with Grammie Karen?"

Lucas grinned. "You'll stay with Grammie Karen."

"And maybe Uncle Nathan and Maddie can come and visit me?"

"I'll talk to Uncle Nathan," Lucas told her.

"OK. I can't wait to see you again, Daddy," she said, wrapping her little arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

"Me, neither, Baby Girl," he said, his voice thick with emotion. This was the first time he'd ever been gone away from Laney for more than one night at a time.

Laney lifted her head and looked at Brooke. "Thanks for marrying my daddy, Brooke," she said.

All Brooke could do was nod through her tears.

The door to the little room off the reception hall opened. "It's time to go," Karen said, peeking her head in. "The limo is here."

"OK. Thanks, Mom," Lucas said. His gaze returned to his daughter. He kissed her on the nose. "I love you, Blue," he told her.

She nodded as she played with the collar on his shirt. "I love you, too, Daddy."

777

"So, do you think Brooke and Lucas will have sex in the limo?" Peyton asked as Jake led her around the dance floor.

"I could care less if they have sex in the limo," he said flatly. "I'm much more interested in seeing you in that little black number in your suitcase," he told her.

Peyton laughed. "Bevin picked it out," she told him.

"Then I owe her a big, fat thank-you," he said. "But first, I'd like to get down to business with my wife."

"Jake," she said softly.

"What?" he asked.

"I—" she took a deep breath and hesitated.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

She met his eyes and he saw the tension in them. "My body…it's different now," she told him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, for one thing, my stomach is flabby as heck, and…I have stretch marks now and—"

"You mean because of your pregnancy?" he asked.

She nodded uncertainly.

Jake studied her face and before he spoke, chose his words carefully. "Those stretch marks and that flabby stomach—are the result of your body growing to accommodate our son. I'm thankful for every one of them, Peyton," he said with sincerity.

Peyton's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you so much, Jake," she said, her voice choked.

"Oh, Honey. For what?"

"I could never have done this alone," she told him.

He took her face in his hands and placed a kiss on her forehead. "And you'll never have to," he said fiercely.

777

Haley had just changed out of her bridesmaid dress and into her pajama's, getting ready to settle for bed when her thoughts turned to Nathan. She lay there for a few minutes, her mind a jumble of thougths, when she realized it was no use. She'd gotten barely a wink of sleep last night, but she knew she wasn't anywhere near close to falling asleep tonight. She threw the covers back and climbed out of bed, then flipped the lamp on. She started pacing back and forth across the length of her room. Nathan had really made her mad yesterday with all that Chris nonsense, and dammitt, he'd been an arrogant jerk! Unfortunately, the anger had done nothing to quench the desire stirring inside of her that had started the second she'd laid eyes on him tying those damn mint casings in the reception hall. Haley lifted the glass of wine she'd poured earlier off her night stand and drank it down in one gulp. She took a deep breath, gave it a quick thought, and before she could change her mind, headed for the door of her room.

777

Nathan was standing there in his boxers rubbing his head with the towel when there was a knock at the door. _Maddie must not be able to sleep without me, _he thought. His parents had brought her upstairs with them earlier and planned to keep her with them for the night so he could be at the reception until the end since he was in the wedding party. He made his way over to the door and pulled it open. He had to force himself not to jump back in shock when it was Haley standing there. "Well, this is a surprise," he said, noticing how pink her cheeks were against her pale skin.

Haley nodded. "For me, too," she said softly. Nate wasn't sure if it was possible, but if it was, her voice sounded almost fragile as if she were afraid he was going to send her away. She held up the bottle in her left hand. "I brought wine."

"I see that," he said, then sighed. "What do you want, Haley?" he asked hesitantly.

She held up her other hand and all Nathan could do was stare at the foiled packet she was clutching so tightly that her knuckles were white. "Want to ask me that again?"

His eyes remained on the article in her hand for a minute, unblinking.

"Is that a no?" she asked with uncertainty.

"I'm not sure," Nathan whispered.

"Want to let me in while you decide?" she asked. In answer, he opened the door further and stepped back allowing her to enter.

She looked around. "This is a nice room," she said brightly, putting the wine and condom on his nightstand.

"Haley, look—"

"Please don't send me away," she said softly. "I wanted to do this once before, remember? And you pushed me away then. Then you told me that I wanted to go on tour with The Wreckers." She quickly made her way over to him and lifted her hands to his shoulders. "Please don't try to make _this _decision for me, too," she implored.

Nathan looked down into her eyes, and he knew he was lost. He knew he was going to let her have her way with him. He tried to talk himself out of it, but dammitt, he'd wanted her for so long, and the last few weeks of his life—the weeks without her—had felt like the longest few weeks of his life. He lifted his hands to her face, and she looked at him questioningly.

He gave a slight nod and she breathed a sigh of relief. He took a step backwards, forcing her to step back, too. They moved together until the backs of her legs hit his bed. He stopped for a minute and looked at her with question in his eyes one last time, giving her an out. But she didn't take it. He gently pushed on her shoulders, sending her tumbling back onto the bed with a soft laugh. He lay down beside her, then lifted his head and grinned down at her. "Graceful, James," he said, moving to cover her body with his. He looked into her eyes then pushed her hair behind her shoulder, leaning down to place a string of soft kisses across her collar bone. He felt her shiver beneath him.

"I've waited for this…" he lifted his eyes to hers once again. "I was gonna say since the beginning of the year, but that would be a lie. I've been waiting for this forever, Haley," he said softly.

"Me, too," she whispered boldly.

"What have you been waiting for?" he asked, his voice thick with passion.

"You," she said simply.

"Me…what?" he pressed. If she wanted this, and he was sure now that she did, he was going to make her spell it out for him.

He watched as she swallowed nervously and lifted her chin defiantly. "You. Inside of me," she whispered.

Nathan growled and leaned down, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss. She barely had time to open her mouth before his tongue claimed her. She whimpered immediately, missing the feel and taste of him. Nathan's hands came up to cup her face as he continued his assault on her mouth. She pushed him back far enough so she could look into his eyes. He watched as she chewed on her lower lip, knowing she was gathering her courage. "How are we going to do this, Nathan?" she asked softly.

He returned her gaze for a minute before whispering in a husky voice, "Slow and easy, Haley. Slow and easy."

Suddenly her demeanor changed and she became timid. Nathan smiled leisurely as he realized what it was. She'd always been bold with him when they were kissing or fooling around—because she knew it was going to stop. But this time it was different. This time she knew what was in store for them, and that composure was eluding her.

777

Nathan woke up the next morning on his stomach facing the wall. He let out a satisfied sigh, then stretched and rolled over to look at the spot beside him. It was vacant. Haley had left. Nathan just lay there, knowing that it wouldn't matter if he went to her hotel room. She was already gone. He put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling, a grin playing across his face. It didn't matter. When school started back up, come hell or high water, she was going to be his again.

He decided that he'd let Haley _have_ this summer and this tour. He'd let her _have_ these eight weeks. And he remained _very_ firm on that fact. For all of _two_ weeks.


	65. Chapter 65

"Lucas," Brooke breathed as she preceded him into their new apartment two weeks later. She turned around to look at him. "Who did this?" she asked, referring to all of the furniture and other supplies filling their apartment above her parents' garage.

Lucas shifted a sleeping Laney to his other arm. "Peyton, Rachel, Mouth and Jake did everything while we were away," he told her.

Her eyes filled with tears. "We really have the best friends," she said.

He looked at her and grinned. "You're going to rearrange everything, aren't you?" he asked in a teasing tone.

She bit her lower lip and nodded. "Yes," she admitted. It never ceased to amaze her how well he knew her.

Lucas laughed softly and looked down at his sleeping daughter in his arms. "Let me get Laney into bed," he said, heading for her new room. He kissed her on the forehead. "She's had a long week," he whispered as Brooke followed him in. After he laid her down, she tucked Laney in. Lucas led the way out of the room just as a loud pounding started on the front door.

"Who the hell is that impatient?" Lucas asked as Brooke over his shoulder.

She shrugged. "You got me," she said, following him to the door.

Lucas opened it and she peeked over his shoulder. "Hey, Nate!" she said, glad to see her brother in law after two weeks of being away. She pushed Lucas out of the way to give him a hug. "How are you?"

"Not so good," he confessed.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone, pulling him into the apartment and shutting the door behind him.

"I need you to go see Haley," he told her.

"Nathan, Haley is on tour," Brooke said softly. "And I'm not going to go…_visit_ her…because you've had an attack of conscience and want her back. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is."

Lucas went to the kitchen as Brooke and Nate sat down in the living room, then returned and handed Nathan a bottle of beer. He sat down next to Brooke on the couch. "She's right, little brother. This one is on you. You want her back? _You_ go after her."

Nathan shook his head. "I _do _want her back," he said firmly. "But I really think she needs you right now, Brooke. Peyton, too," he said softly.

Brooke sighed. "Look, Nathan—"

"Haley went with you when you went to get Peyton," he reminded her, then sighed. "I went to New York to see her yesterday," he said.

"How did it go?" Brooke asked.

"Well…" Nathan started.

_Nathan got out of his car and walked to the door of the club where The Wreckers were playing that night. He looked at the poster in the window and rolled his eyes as he saw that there was a picture of them on there, then a huge picture of Chris Keller in the background with a grin on his face. The punk couldn't even put Haley on the damn tour poster, he thought bitterly._

_It was three o'clock in the afternoon, way before show time, and luckily security was light. Nathan was able to make his way backstage with no problems. The first thing he saw was Chris Keller. Squaring his shoulders angrily, he pushed forward until he was standing behind the jerk. "Where is she?" he demanded._

_Chris turned around. "Well, well, well," he said with a satisfied smirk. "Look who it is."_

_"I'm not in the mood for your stupid games, Keller. Where the hell is she?" he demanded again. _

_"Where's who?" he asked. And Nathan had to hand it to him. The confusion on his face looked genuine._

_Nathan grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the wall. "Don't make me ask again," he warned. He was amazed at how his temper had shortened in such a small amount of time, but he'd analyze that later._

_"Or what?" Chris taunted. "You gonna kill me?"_

_"Everything OK, Keller?" Nathan heard someone behind him ask._

_"Sure," he answered over Nathan's shoulder, a cocky grin fixed on his face. He returned his gaze to Nathan. "I suppose you're talking about Haley," he said._

_Nathan let go of him and took a step back then looked at him expectantly. When Chris still didn't say anything, Nathan's temper shortened some more. "You gonna answer me?" he asked._

_"You __**really **__don't know, do you?"_

_Nathan shrugged. "Know what?"_

_Chris sighed. "She didn't come on tour with us," he said with a smug grin. He was more than happy to drop __**that**__ bomb._

_Nathan felt as if someone had just thrown a bucket of ice water on him. "What?" he asked in an abrupt tone. Nathan had pushed her away so she'd go on tour. If she hadn't gone…_

_"Look, she came out to record a single for me, and I tried again to get her to join the tour, but she wouldn't. She left" He shook his head. "But to where? Your guess is as good as mine." Chris started to walk away then turned back around. "If you can't even keep track of her, then maybe you __**don't**__ deserve her," he said, then sighed. "But for the record, that girl __**really **__loves you. So stop being such an idiot."_

Brooke flew up from her spot on the couch. "What!?" she asked furiously.

"Yeah, it was a bit of a shock to me, too," Nathan agreed.

"She never went on tour? Then where in the hell is she?" Brooke asked hysterically.

"My guess is to Maine. She must have gone to stay with Taylor," Nathan surmised.

Brooke sighed and sat back down. "I can't believe she lied to me," she said softly. "Why would she do that?"

"She's pissed off at me," Nathan said flatly.

Brooke shook her head. "No, she wouldn't lie to _me_ because she's pissed off at _you_," she told him. "There's got to be more to the story."

"Can you find out?"

"Nathan, I just got back from my honeymoon. Now you want me to fly to _Maine_?" she asked in disbelief.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I want you to fly to Maine," he said.

"She must…really want to be alone," Brooke said sadly. She put her fingers at her temples and started to massage them, something that always calmed her. "Did you tell Peyton?"

Nathan shook his head. "Not yet."

"Well, I'll talk to her first thing in the morning, and if she's willing to go with me, we'll go. I'd really like to get to the bottom of this little mystery," she said.

Nathan put his half empty beer bottle on the coffee table and stood up. "Thanks," he said solemnly. "I gotta get back to my parents house," he said.

Lucas stood up to walk him out. "Something wrong with the beach house?" he asked.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah. It's too quiet without you and Laney and Jake and Jenny," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. He sighed. "I didn't realize how much I was going to miss you and your rug rat, big brother."

Lucas slapped Nathan on the back. "Right back at ya."

"Hey, I didn't ask now the honeymoon went, "Nathan said.

Lucas nodded and a huge grin appeared on his face. "Loved it," he said. "We didn't see a bit of Cancun," he admitted. "And we probably wouldn't have seen Disney if Laney hadn't been there."

Nathan grinned. "Good job, Luke," he joked, opening the door.

"Nate."

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"You slept with her," Lucas said with certainty.

Nathan nodded, his eyes fixed on his brother's face.

"And you still want her?"

"Desperately," he confessed.

Lucas nodded, his face taking on a serious expression. "That's a first for you."

"Yeah, well, don't let it get out," Nathan said, hoping to lighten the moment. "My reputation would be in tatters."

"It's our secret, little brother." Lucas grinned. "Besides, who would believe me?"

777

"I don't even know what to say!" Brooke said a little later as Lucas reached over and turned the lamp beside the bed off. He settled back down against his pillows as Brooke leaned over and put her head on his chest. "I mean, for the first time in my life, I'm completely speechless!"

"Well that was…twenty two years coming," Lucas said in a teasing tone, wrapping an arm around her.

She playfully hit him on the chest then sighed. "I can't believe she lied to me." She sat up against her own pillows and turned the lamp on her side of the bed on. "Why do you think she lied to me?"

Lucas sighed. "We're _really_ going to do this right now?"

Brooke nodded vigorously. "Yes, Lucas. We're going to do this _right _now," she confirmed.

He sat up again and rearranged the covers over them. "Maybe she just needed some time alone," he suggested.

"Away from _me_?" Brooke asked doubtfully.

"Yes, Baby," he said softly, holding back a grin. "Away from you."

"But I'm her best friend," Brooke argued.

"And another link to Nathan," Lucas reminded her.

Brooke sighed. "Your brother is so damn stupid, it makes me want to hit _you_!" she said, reaching over and whacking his bicep.

"Hey!" Lucas protested, rubbing that spot on his arm.

"I'm sorry," she said distractedly. "Give that to your brother next time you see him, won't you?" she said with a sweet grin.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "So I suppose you're going to go to Maine to give her hell?"

"Oh, no, Honey," she said. "_We _are going to Maine to give her hell."

"Why do I have to go?" Lucas asked in a whiney voice.

"To support _me_," Brooke said animatedly.

Lucas looked at Brooke for a minute then said, "Fine. But if I have to support _your_ needs, then you have to support _mine_." He reached over and grabbed the hem of her tank top.

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Looks like I win either way," she said seductively.

777

Nathan was lying on his stomach fast asleep with his pillow over his head when he was jarred awake. There was no noise, but he suddenly felt like he wasn't alone in his bedroom. He pulled the pillow off his head and looked towards the door. He could see his little girl standing there in the doorway, the light from the hallway at her back. "Hey, Mads," he said in a sleepy voice. "What's goin' on?"

"My room is too big," she said sadly.

Nathan sighed. "I know the feeling," he said softly. He rolled over onto his back and sat up. "Wanna sleep with me tonight?" he asked.

Maddie nodded and took off running towards him. She jumped onto the bed and crawled over him so she was on the inside. He lay back down and Maddie snuggled against him as he fixed the blankets around them. "Daddy?"

"What, babe?" he asked with a yawn.

"I miss Uncle Lucas and Uncle Jake and Laney and Jenny," Maddie said with a sigh.

"Me, too, Mads," he said.

"And daddy?" she said quietly.

He looked down at his daughter to see her lower lip trembling. "I really miss Haley."

"Me, too, Honey."

Maddie sighed. "Maybe we should have stayed at Grammie and Grampies' house," she said.

"But your blanket was here," Nathan reminded her. "We had to come back for it."

She nodded. "Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did Haley leave?" Maddie asked.

Now there was a question Nathan had been dreading. He'd known it was going to come up. Maddie was way too practical to let it pass. He sighed and pulled her closer. "Because I wasn't that nice to her Mads," he admitted to his little girl.

Maddie frowned. "What did you do?"

Nathan sighed. "Just some grown up stuff that wasn't very nice," he said, not wanting to confuse his daughter with an explanation.

Maddie sat up. "Can't you say you're sorry so she can give you?"

"So she can _what?" _Nathan asked.

"So she can _give_ you," his daughter told him.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Mads," he said.

She sighed dramatically. "If you say you're sorry, she won't be mad at you anymore, Daddy. Once you say you're sorry, she can _give_ you."

"Oh!" Nathan said in understanding. "_For-_give me," he said.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter how many times, Daddy," she said as if he were stupid.

Nathan had to bite back a grin at his daughter's logic. He couldn't help it--he had to lean over and give her a squeeze. "Oh, Mads," he said softly. "You make every second of my life worth it."

"That's nice, Daddy. But we still haven't finished talking about Haley," she said sternly.

Nathan sighed. His little girl was filled with persistence. "Haley will be back for the school year, Mads," he told her. "We'll see her then."

Maddie sighed, then, "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

"No," Nathan told her. There was a huge crack of thunder followed by lightning. "I heard _that_," he said, figuring they had about ten or fifteen minutes before the rain started.

"I wish Uncle Lucas and Uncle Jake were here," Maddie said again.

Nathan grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and hit number two on his speed dial. "Hey, can we spend the night?" Nathan asked when someone answered the phone.

There was a pause on the other end and then, "I just unlocked the door for you, Little Brother."


	66. Chapter 66

_Two weeks earlier…_

The door swung open before Haley even made it up the walk and Taylor ran out and wrapped her arms around her sister. "I missed you so much!" she said.

Haley laughed. "I was gone for five days," she said.

Taylor pulled away from her sister and looked her in the eyes. "Yes, but Haley, you were gone _all _last school year, and then you were only back for a few weeks, and then gone again! I could hardly stand it."

Haley smiled at her sister's exuberance. "I love that you missed me."

Taylor grabbed Haley's arm and pulled her into the house. Haley looked behind them. "What about my suitcases?" she asked.

"Tyler! Can you get Haley's suitcases please?" she yelled as she shut the door behind them. She ushered Haley to the couch and they sat down side by side. "So, tell me all about the wedding."

"Well, Brooke loved the wedding cake. Thank you so much for your help!" she said sincerely.

Taylor grinned. "No problem."

Haley sighed and sat back on the couch. "It was so gorgeous, Tay. And the best part was that aside from the cake fiasco, Brooke was calm the entire time." Haley ran a hand through her hair. "And the worst part was that…I couldn't help but be a little jealous."

Taylor gave Haley's knee a pat. "Oh, honey," she said comfortingly.

Haley's eyes filled with tears and she wiped at them. "I'm such a horrible friend," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Taylor shook her head. "I don't' think that's true at _all,_" she said. "Hay, you stayed up all night long making a wedding cake for your ex-boyfriends brothers wedding. I would say you went above the call of duty."

"No, I didn't," Haley said. "Brooke is one of my best friends. It was the least I could do."

"See? You just proved my point exactly. _That_ was the statement of a good friend. Not a horrible one," she informed her sister.

"Thanks, Tay," Haley said, settling against her sisters shoulder. Taylor wrapped an arm around Haley and they sank back on the couch cushions. "So, how was seeing he who shall not be named?" she asked with concern.

Haley shrugged. "Exactly how I expected it to be."

"And that was…" Taylor prompted.

"Hard," Haley said her voice breaking.

Taylor gave her little sister a squeeze. "I'm so sorry, Hay."

"It's not your fault," Haley reminded her.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry that Nathan is such a jerk."

"But he's not a jerk," Haley argued, not sure why she was defending him. "I think he thought he was doing me a favor in some twisted way by pushing me away."

Taylor sighed. "Boys are so _stupid_," she said.

"Amen to _that_," Haley agreed.

"So, listen. We rented a cabin on the ocean," Taylor told her sister, changing the subject. "For next week and the week after that."

Haley shook her head. "I have to work," she reminded her sister. "If I'm going to go graduate school, I have to save, save, save."

"Well, that's just too bad, baby sister, because Tyler is closing up shop for two weeks, so if you stay here, you won't be able to work anyway," Taylor said with a wicked grin.

Haley slapped her sister on the arm. "Nothing like a little manipulation."

Taylor kissed Haley on the cheek. "Whatever gets me more time with you before you go back to Tree Hill," she said.

Haley took a deep breath, "Listen, I…"

"Hey, Haley. How was Los Angeles?" Tyler asked, heading for the front door.

"It was good," Haley said, but her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears.

"Good," he said. He brought her suitcases in and set them by the front door. "Do you want me to bring these upstairs for you?" he asked

Haley shook her head. "No, that's OK. I can get them."

He sat down in the recliner beside the couch. "Did you meet any hot men?" he asked.

Haley shook her head sadly.

Tyler leaned over and gave her knee a squeeze. "If the jerk isn't man enough to hold onto you, Hay, then he doesn't deserve you," he said determinedly.

Haley nodded. "I know," she whispered.

"He's just a guy, Hay," Taylor said softly. "And I know that's not comforting, and I know it doesn't seem like it now, but there is probably someone out there who…is a much better match for you," she said.

Haley nodded uncertainly.

Taylor looked her sister in the eyes and gasped. "You lost your virginity!" she squealed.

"What?" Haley said, in a high pitched voice.

"Did you or did you not sleep with Nathan while you were gone?" she demanded.

"Easy there, counselor," her husband teased, standing up. He cleared his throat. "I'll just leave the room while you two have your little girl talk."

As soon as Tyler left the room, Taylor started in again. "Well?" she asked.

"Taylor that is…ridiculous…"

Taylor gave her sister a stern glare.

"…ly accurate," Haley finished. "How did you know?" she asked.

Taylor gave her sister a shrewd look. "Please. You're looking at the girl who's lost her virginity twice now," she said dryly.

Haley gave her sister a doubtful look.

"OK, so I was faking it the second time," she admitted.

"You almost had me there," Haley said sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Taylor said, giving her sisters' arm a light slap. "So? How was it?" she demanded. "A hot guy like Nathan? There's no doubt in my mind that he knows his way around a woman's body," she said with a teasing raise of her eyebrows.

Haley nodded. "Yeah. You know how most girls…_don't_ their first time?"

"Yeah," Taylor said, immediately perking up.

Haley grinned smugly. "I so did," she said triumphantly.

Taylor squealed and rubbed her hands together. "Tell me more," she demanded.

"I don't know what to say," Haley said, suddenly shy with the topic.

Taylor sighed. "I can't believe you finally did it, Little Sis," she said.

"Yeah, well, me neither," Haley agreed. "And I'd like to blame the wine, but…that would be a lie."

"Well, I would hope so," Taylor said.

"Anyway, enough about me. How are _you_ feeling?" Haley asked, sitting up and putting a hand on her sisters' still flat stomach.

Taylor grinned. "I'm fine," she said excitedly. "No morning sickness whatsoever!" she said.

"So my little niece or nephew isn't giving you any problems, then?" Haley asked with concern.

Taylor shook her head. "Nope. Not a bit," she said.

"Good," Haley said, taking a deep breath. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh, God. What?" Taylor asked.

"Well, before I left for Brooke's wedding, I called UMaine to meet with my old advisor about transferring back here," she said.

Taylor's eyes lit up then her face took on a downcast look. "Haley, you know I would love to have you here. But…if you're running away from your problems—"

Haley shook her head quickly. "No, that's not it," she said. "I just…well, for one thing, all of my old roommates are married now, which means that…I'd either have to live on campus, which, let's face it, I didn't get any studying done the last time I did that. Or I'd have to get an apartment by myself. Which, quite frankly…I don't want to spend that much money."

"What about the money you got from your song with Chris?" Taylor asked.

"I don't want to blow so much of it on rent that there's hardly any left over," she reasoned. "If I'm going to go to Stanford after I graduate, then I'm going to need all the cash I can get."

Taylor nodded. "Well, it sounds like you've thought it through," she said.

"I have," Haley said with a nod

Taylor nodded. "OK. Whatever you decide, I'm here."

"Thanks," Haley said, pulling her sister in for a hug.

"Let's talk some more about your virginity!" Taylor said as Haley rolled her eyes.

777

"Haley, it's so nice to see you again!" her former advisor said as Haley sat down across from her in the stuffy office.

"It's nice to see you, too," Haley said with a smile.

"I'm not sure how long you're going to be singing that tune," Ms. Thomaston said.

"Why?" Haley asked with concern.

The woman leaned forward with her hands clasped on her desk and looked Haley in the eye. "First off, I just want to say that if you still want to transfer after this conversation, Haley, we'd be happy to have you."

"That doesn't sound very promising," Haley said with a nervous laugh.

Lydia took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that all of your credits from Tree Hill University aren't eligible to be transferred to our University."

"Oh," Haley said in a small voice.

"This means that you'd have to take an even heavier class load if you wanted to graduate this year."

"OK," Haley said with a nod.

"And where you've been living out of state for the last ten months, you're tuition would be billed for out-of-state."

"Oh. That's…a huge difference," Haley said.

"I'm afraid it is," the woman agreed. "But the good thing is, if you do attend UMaine again, there are still a lot of scholarships you could apply for, Haley, and with your grades, I don't think it would be that hard to get them."

Haley took a deep breath. "Yeah," she said. "The thing is I already have a huge course load for next semester. How many classes would I have to retake to get my degree?" she asked.

Lydia frowned. "Six."

"Wow," Haley said, surprised. "Yeah, three extra classes a semester is just too much," she said. "There's no way I could handle that kind of a class load."

"I'm sorry, Haley," the woman said.

"That's OK," Haley said. "It's…just meant to be for me to go back to Tree Hill, I guess," she said.

777

Two weeks later, Haley and Taylor were lying out on the deck of the ocean front cabin they'd rented in Bar Harbor when the doorbell rang. Haley sighed. "Who could that be?" she asked.

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know. But I think _you_ should get it," she volunteered her sister.

"Why me?" Haley asked.

"Because _I'm_ pregnant," Taylor stated.

"Seriously…" Haley said. "You can't play the pregnancy card all the time."

Taylor grinned up at her sister. "I can try, though," she said in a sing song voice.

Haley made her way to the door in her bare feet, short shorts and tank top and threw open the front door. "Oh, crap," she said when she saw who it was.

"Oh, crap is right," Brooke said as Peyton stood there beside her with a 'you're in for it now,' grin on her face.


	67. Chapter 67

Haley cleared her throat and lifted her chin, then pasted a fake smile on her face. "So, what are you girls doing here?" she asked, trying to hide her uneasiness. She was fully aware that it wasn't working.

Brooke laughed humorlessly. "Oh, no, you don't," she said, wagging her finger in Haley's face. "That's _our_ question. Haley, _what_ is going on?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Oh, _now_ you want to hear me talk," Haley mumbled.

"What?" Brooke asked, confused.

Haley ran a hand through her hair. "Come on in," she said half-heartedly.

Brooke plowed through the front door and into the living room, but Peyton stopped at her friend. She pulled Haley in for a hug. "How ya doin'?" she asked sincerely.

"I'm fine," Haley said her voice thick with emotion. They pulled apart and Peyton walked over to the couch and sat down next to Brooke.

"So…" Brooke said.

"Ummm…I'll be right back," Haley said quickly. "You have _got_ to have some of Taylor's homemade iced tea. It's to die for," she promised.

"But we don't…" Brooke started—but it was too late. Haley was out of the room in a flash. "Want any iced tea," she finished weakly then looked at Peyton, who was lost in wonderment. "What was that all about?"

"What was what about?" Peyton asked distractedly, looking around the room, fascinated at all of the ocean figurines.

"Now we want to hear her talk," Brooke told her friend. "What was _that?_"

Peyton shrugged helplessly.

777

Haley skidded into the kitchen and ran to the screen door that led to the balcony. She pushed it open and stuck her head out. "Taylor!" she whispered urgently. "Get in here!" She let the door slam shut and ran to the cupboards, opening and closing each one until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed a glass pitcher with turquoise and yellow painted fish on it and some Crystal Light, then put them on the counter.

"What's going on?" Taylor asked as she walked in, pulling her sunglasses off and placing them on the counter. "Who was at the door?" She gasped. "Was it Nathan?"

"No, it wasn't Nathan," Haley hissed as she grabbed a tray of ice cubes and started filling the pitcher. "It's Brooke and Peyton."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet your friends!" Taylor said excitedly. She started heading for the door, but Haley quickly grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" she said frantically.

Taylor stopped for a moment and studied her sisters' face. "Haley, _what_ is going on with you?"

Haley took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then licked her bottom lip. "They don't know I slept with him," she admitted.

Taylor immediately perked up and put a hand on her chest. "I know something about you that your friends don't know?" she asked eagerly.

Haley rolled her eyes. "So not the point, Taylor," she said, filling the pitcher up to the two quart mark. Then she dumped the iced tea mix in and started stirring it ferociously. "I don't want them to know."

"About the hot sex?" Taylor asked with a grin.

"Taylor!" Haley said with a groan, running a hand through her hair. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

Taylor walked over to her sister and put an arm around her waist, giving her a light squeeze. "Of course I am. But…_why_ don't you want them to know?"

"Because. They'll just...ask me all of these questions and…give me these pitying looks because they know that I'm not with him anymore, and I just…" She gave a deep sigh. "I don't think I can take it."

"They do that because they love you," Taylor said softly. She watched as her sisters' eyes filled with tears then sprang into action, grabbing a tray and putting three glasses on it. "It's going to be OK, Haley," she said firmly.

"I know it is," Haley agreed. "I just…I wish they would have called."

Taylor laughed. "So that you could have dodged them?"

"Exactly," Haley said, leading the way into the living room, carrying the pitcher. Taylor followed with the tray and glasses, then filled them and handed them out, Haley making introductions.

"Aren't you going to have some?" she asked in surprise when she realized there were only three glasses.

"Nahhh," Taylor said. "I'm actually going for a walk on the beach. Brooke, Peyton. It was very nice to meet you," she said.

"You, too," the girls said in unison as Taylor left the room.

Brooke put her glass on the table and gave Haley a pointed look, then waited.

Haley shifted uncomfortably and then sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked around the room for a minute—her eyes on anything but her friends. "What?" she finally asked when she couldn't take their expectant stares any more.

"What's going on, Haley?" Brooke finally asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Haley lied.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to spell it out for you?" she asked.

"Please," Haley said dryly.

"Why aren't you on tour with Chris Keller and The Wreckers?"

"I didn't go," Haley said simply.

"You don't say," Brooke said sarcastically, her temper finally getting the best of her. "Do you want to elaborate or are you just going to sit there with your lips locked together?"

Haley didn't say anything.

"What's going on, Haley?" Peyton asked softly, leaning over and placing a hand on her friends' knee. "Why didn't you tell us that you weren't going to go on tour with Chris?"

Haley's gaze finally snapped back to her friends. "How did you even know where I was?" she fired back.

"Nathan figured it out when he went to find you in New York and you weren't there," Peyton told her.

Haley took a deep breath, hiding her shock at the fact that Nathan had come looking for her. "I didn't _want_ to go on tour with Chris," she said.

"Well, that's great, honey, but…why didn't you tell us?" Peyton pressed.

"You pulled a P. Sawyer," Brooke interrupted, speaking up again. "How could you?"

"Hey!" Peyton said. Brooke gave her a dirty look. "Yeah, OK," she conceded.

"I didn't pull a P. Sawyer," Haley said, finally defending herself.

"You did, too!" Brooke argued. "You got scared, so you left!"

"No, I got _dumped_, so I didn't _stay_."

"That was so me!" Peyton said.

Haley rolled her eyes.

"You lied to us, Haley," Brooke said softly.

Haley shook her head. "No, I didn't," she said again.

"Yes, you did. You told us you were going on tour."

"No," Haley said firmly. "Never _once _did I tell you that I was going on tour. You guys all assumed," Haley said, her voice breaking. "You thought it was between Nathan and the tour, and if I couldn't have him, then the _tour_ it was. It was never about the tour. It was Nathan…or nothing," she told them. "I wanted _Nathan_. And had you asked, or had an ounce of faith in me, I would have told you that."

Both girls sat there stunned.

"Do you know what it's like to know that your best friends don't even know you?"

"I'm so sorry, Haley," Brooke whispered. "You…have every right to be mad at us."

"I'm not mad at you," she told them. "I'm just…disappointed."

Brooke groaned. "That's even worse!" she said.

"OK, well, I understand why you didn't tell us about the tour," Peyton said. "We were kind of…jerks about that. And…looking back, I _do _think we could have been more supportive of what you were going through. _Especially_ me. But…what about the other thing?"

"Oh, God," Haley said, panic setting in at the third degree that was sure to come. "How did you find out?"

"Rachel told us," Peyton said.

"How in the hell did Rachel find out?" Haley asked in a shrill tone.

"She answered a phone call on the day of Brooke's wedding from the admissions office," Peyton said.

"Oh!" Haley said, finally understanding. "You're talking about the _transfer_."

"What were _you_ talking about?" Brooke asked.

"The…transfer," Haley lied, then quickly continued, hoping to distract her friends. "I—I was going to transfer to UMaine because I thought it was going to be cheaper for me, but because I lived in Tree Hill for more than six months and it was off campus, I'd have to pay out of state tuition costs. And 

they're astronomical. So, as it turns out, it's cheaper for me to go back to THU next semester," she finished.

"Thank _God_!" Brooke exclaimed. "I can't imagine being at school next year without you!"

"Well, luckily you won't have to be," Haley said.

Brooke sighed. "I'm so sorry, Haley," she said. "I wish…I wish I could have been there for you in the way you needed for me to be," she said softly.

"Thanks," Haley said sincerely. "So," she said with forced cheerfulness, changing the subject. "Are you guys here alone?"

"No, actually we brought Lucas and Jake and the kids," Peyton said.

Haley nodded, her eyes glossing over.

"Everything OK?" Brooke asked.

Haley lifted her eyes to her friends'. "How's Maddie?" she asked, her voice full of emotion.

888

"Daddy!" Maddie scolded. "You're not doing this right!" She reached up and pulled the elastics from her hair.

"Maddie—I just tried ten different times to put your hair up in pigtails! One of those times, I must have done it right!" he said angrily, his own temper getting the best of him. In the last few weeks, Nathans daughters' behavior had changed dramatically and he was having a hard time adjusting to it.

"Haley can do it right the _first _time," she told him primly.

"Well, Haley's not here," he reminded her, forcing his tone to remain calm.

Maddie spun around and put her hands on her hips, then lifted her chin defiantly. "Well I want her to be," she said.

"Well, she's not going to be," he told her.

"Daddy, I _want_ you to call Haley!" Maddie said in frustration.

Nathan shook his head. "I can't do that, Mads," he told her.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because Haley is far away right now."

"Yes, but if you call her, and she knows I want to see her, she'll come, Daddy. I _know_ she will," Maddie said with certainty.

He tenderly placed his hands on his daughters' shoulders. "I'm _not_ calling Haley, Mads," he said gently.

"Yes, you _are_!" she said stubbornly.

He dropped his hands. "Lose the attitude, Maddie," he warned her.

"No!" she snapped, her eyes meeting his with definite challenge in them. "I don't _want_ to lose my attitude," she informed him.

Nathan stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "The attitude goes or _you_ go. To time out. What's it going to be?"

"I don't like _either_ of those choices," she said, her voice rising. She crossed her own little arms over her chest, mimicking her father.

"Madelyn Camilla Scott!" Nathan said raising his voice so it was louder than hers. "I don't like the way you've been acting lately, and it's about to stop!"

Maddie's eyes widened at his tone. "Nathan Royal Scott!" she said, serious as could be. "If you yell at me again, I'm going to tell my Grammie! And then _you'll_ be in time out," she told him.

"I'm your father, Maddie," he said, trying to suppress the grin that was trying to make its way to his face after her scolding _and _his temper. It was hard being angry and amused all at the same time. "It's my job to do what's right for you."

"Then bring Haley home," Maddie said, not missing a beat. "That's what's right for me."

Nathan sighed, his anger diffusing immediately. It was hard to be mad at his daughter when he knew exactly what she was going through. He missed Haley, too, but he knew that this wasn't the time to call her. He'd hurt her by pushing her away and he knew that now…all he could do was wait. He crouched down so he was eye level with his daughter. "I wish I could bring her home, Maddie, but I can't do that. That's Haley's choice."

Maddie's eyes filled with huge tears, and Nathan knew instantly he'd said the wrong thing. "You mean she doesn't want to be here with us?" she wailed in devastation. Before Nathan could say anything else, she fled from the bathroom and ran to her bedroom. When Nathan walked in, she was lying face down on the bed, sobs wracking her little body. Nathan's heart broke at the sight. "Maddie," he said, wrapping an arm around her.

"Don't, Daddy!" she screeched. "I don't want your hugs! I only want Haleys!"

_Thanks for reading and please don't forget to drop me a review! I love reading them!_


	68. Chapter 68

"So…Haley must be back," Nathan said, climbing in the front of his brothers SUV. Classes were due to start in the next few days, and they were going to have a guys' night out with Jake while the girls did their thing.

Lucas didn't say anything for a moment, not wanting to lie to his brother. "What makes you think that?" he asked instead.

"Well, Brooke practically pried Maddie away from me. And this was _after_ I told her that she was going to stay with my parents tonight," he said dryly. "They must be plotting to arrange a meeting between my kid and their best friend."

"Are you mad?" Lucas asked, turning to look over his shoulder as he backed out of the driveway.

Nathan shook his head. "Are you kidding? Maddie has been a bear for the last six weeks." He scoffed. "Even longer. If she wasn't my kid, I would've dropped her off at the pound. I swear to God, Lucas, if this is a preview of the teenage years…"

"If this is a preview of the teenage years…what?" Lucas asked with an amused grin.

Nathan shuddered visibly. "I don't dare to finish that sentence, Luke," he admitted.

Lucas laughed. "You think _you_ have it bad? At least _your _daughter is just starting to be dramatic. My daughter already has four years under her belt," Lucas pointed out.

"You have a point there, big brother," Nathan said then sighed. "I'm just glad she's going to finally see Haley. I'm hoping this will improve her attitude."

"And if it doesn't?" Lucas asked.

"Then I'm not going to pick her up from your house," he joked.

Lucas laughed again. "So…what about you?"

Nathan looked at his brother. "What about me?" he asked.

"Don't you want to see Haley?"

Nathan didn't say anything for a minute. "Of course I want to _see_ her, Lucas," he said. "But she didn't even tell me she's back. And she knows I went to New York to try and see her. Obviously _she_ doesn't want to see _me_. Maybe it's time I took a hint."

"You think so?" Lucas asked.

"You don't?"

Lucas shrugged. "I can't answer that for you. I only know that if I had left Brooke alone when she told me to, I wouldn't be married right now."

Nathan nodded then turned to look out his window. "We aren't you and Brooke, Lucas," he said quietly.

Lucas reached over and gave his brothers shoulder a rub. "Look, Nate—"

"When you and Brooke fight, it's like you're her voice of reason. She listens to you. But when Haley and I would fight, it's like…she'd pull even further away. And then we'd make up, and I'd think everything was fine. But then we'd have _another _fight, and I'd realize that everything being OK was all a pretense. I can get over things, but I'm not sure she can."

"Maybe she just needs a reason to push you away because she's scared."

"Ya think?" Nathan said sarcastically. "It doesn't matter what we fight about, it always ends up being the same thing. I'm tired of fighting, Lucas."

"Do you want to live without Haley?"

"God, no," Nathan said firmly. "But I have a daughter to raise. I can't be worrying about when Haley's going to explode again."

"Sounds like you might be a little angry, too."

"Lucas, she hopped into bed with me and then left the next morning without even saying goodbye."

"Sounds like you in high school," Lucas commented.

"Yeah, well, I'm tempted to call all those girls and apologize."

"Geez," Lucas said. "How many were there?"

Nathan turned to face his brother, a grin on his face. "I'm pleading the fifth."

"So are you saying you're done with Haley?" Lucas asked. He lifted a hand in surrender when Nathan's eyes narrowed at him. "I'm only asking because it sounds like you're done."

Nathan gave a thoughtful sigh. "I'm not done," he said firmly. "I'm just…regrouping. I need a new approach," he said. "You don't turn tail and run off the court when things get tough. You just need a new game plan."

Lucas grinned. "Like the fade-a-way?" he teased.

Nathan returned his brothers' grin with one of his own. "The fade-a-way is weak, man."

777

Brooke finished frosting the last cupcake and put it in a Tupperware container with the rest, then turned around. "So, what do you think?" she asked, surveying the kitchen. "Do you think I have enough food?"

Peyton grinned back. "To feed an entire army," she teased.

"Well, it's us and Haley, plus the girls. God, with just us we can eat all night."

"This is true," Peyton agreed, looking at her watch. "Do you think she forgot? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Haley is never on time."

"Haley is _always _on time," Peyton argued.

Brooke frowned. "Yeah, I was trying to convince myself."

"Maybe she got lost!" Peyton said excitedly.

"Here's hoping," Brooke said, lifting her glass of soda to clink against her friends. As they both took sips of their soda, there was a knock on the door. In true Brooke fashion, she let out a squeal. "Haley's here," she said quietly, not wanting to ruin Maddie's surprise.

The girls both ran to the door and flung it open. Each one grabbed a wrist and pulled Haley to them as if they hadn't seen her in years instead of mere weeks.

Haley laughed at their fervor. "What is going on here?" she asked, when the girls finally let her go.

"We thought maybe…" Brooke trailed off.

"You thought I ditched you," Haley said with a grin.

"Yeah," Peyton said softly.

"I wouldn't ditch you," Haley promised. "I'd just run away and not tell you where I was going," she teased.

"Ha ha ha," Brooke said dryly, linking her arm and pulling her friend towards the couch.

"Too soon?" Haley asked.

"Just a smidge. Can you get the door, Peyt?" Brooke asked over her shoulder.

"So, guess who got a new job!" Haley said excitedly when her friends were situated around her.

"I thought the whole point of you singing with Chris was so you wouldn't have to work," Peyton pointed out instead of obeying Haley's command to guess.

Haley shrugged. "It was. But as I was sitting around my apartment all day today, I realized how bored I was going to be being alone all the time."

"What about cheerleading?" Brooke asked.

"I'm not going to cheer this year," Haley said.

"Oh, yes you are," Brooke disputed.

"I'm _not_," Haley said firmly.

Brooke pursed her lips. "We'll see," she said.

Haley rolled her eyes and gave her head a shake. "Anyway, I met with Karen this afternoon and she gave me a waitressing job."

"Haley, that's great!" Brooke said.

"It's just a few nights a week, but at least it will keep me busy."

"_And_ you'll get to see me and Lucas. We eat there three or four nights a week. You know, when Lucas gets tired of cooking," she said with a laugh.

"Anyway, between work and school, I should have enough to keep my busy most of the time."

"When are you going go hang out with us?" Peyton asked.

"You guys are married now," Haley said quietly. "You have plenty to keep you busy, too."

"Oh, please," Brooke said. "Like I don't ditch Lucas every single chance I get."

Peyton gave her a stern glare.

"OK, so I stick to him like glue," Brooke admitted. "But we're still newlyweds. I'm sure I'll get sick of him eventually," she promised.

Haley laughed softly. "I'm not going to intrude on your lives."

"Oh, yes you are!" Peyton said. She moved closer to Haley and wrapped her arms around her friends' shoulders, placing a loud smacking kiss on her cheek. "And we wouldn't have it any other way," she said.

777

Jake set up the playpen next to the River Court as Luke and Nate began shooting around. Jeyton was fast asleep, and after making sure his son was comfortable, Jake joined them. He stood there for a moment then put his hands at his waist. "OK, here are the rules," he said loudly.

Lucas and Nathan stopped and turned to look at him.

"I'm not kidding, if that ball goes anywhere near my kid, there will be a death involved," Jake warned.

Luke and Nate rolled their eyes. "We have kids, you know," Lucas reminded him.

"Right," Jake said with a nod. "Well then, let's get started."

"You first," Nathan said, standing on one side of the hoop as Jake took the foul line.

"Remember, five in a row," Lucas said from across Nate.

Jake nodded. "I got it," he said as he shot the ball. It hit the rim, and in a completely random fashion, flew towards the playpen where Jeyton was sleeping. The three men froze—their wide eyes glued to the ball as it hit the mesh casing on the side of the playpen and fell with a soft whoosh onto the grass.

"So…will this be an assisted suicide?" Nathan said dryly.

Jake gave him a stern glare.

"You did say there would be a death involved if the ball went near your kid," Lucas reminded him.

"I meant if it was one of _you_," Jake clarified with a growl.

"All right, back to the basket," Nathan instructed. Basketball season was beginning soon, and Nathan had made it his personal goal to make sure the three of them were in tip top shape for it. It wasn't like he had anything else to concentrate on. Besides Maddie. _Oh, crap. I forgot about my kid,_ Nathan thought, then sighed. _I'm a horrible father. But way better than Jake. At least I didn't throw a ball at my kid. _Nathan grinned at that last thought.

Once again, Jake took his spot on the foul line, but his eyes never made it to the basket. They were on his sleeping son.

777

"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Haley asked.

"Well," Brooke said, picking up the DVD's on the coffee table. "We have The Little Mermaid, Cars, and Cinderella," she said, flipping through them.

At the mention of Cars, Haley's mind immediately flew to Nathan and his Christmas tale of Maddie's Sally.

_"This should really knock your socks off," Nathan said. "So, I'm in the Disney aisle at the toy store, and I'm looking for Sally—" he started._

"_Who's Sally?" Haley interrupted, feeling a quick stab of jealousy that caught her off guard._

_Nathan grinned knowingly. "She's Lightning McQueen's girlfriend. From the Cars movie," he told her._

_Haley laughed. "Oh," she said on a sigh of relief._

"_Or at least she would be if she'd give him half a chance," Nathan said with just a hint of mock bitterness in his voice. "Anyway, I finally spot one—the only one— and just as I pull the box off the shelf, this woman runs up and grabs it from me," he said._

"_You're kidding!" Haley said, into the story already._

"_Oh, I'm not kidding," Nathan said. "So, I politely tell the lady that that Sally belongs to me, because I had her first."_

"_What'd she say?" Haley asked putting her scissors down and focusing all of her attention on Nathan._

"_She said, 'if you'd moved fast enough, then it could have been yours, but now, it's mine!' And she took off running!"_

"_Oh my word!" Haley said. "At least you found another one."_

_Nathan shook his head. "Nope. This is the same one."_

"_Did you wrestle it away from her?" Haley asked, laughing._

"_Nope. I pulled out my cell, got Lucas and Jake on the phone—they were there with me—and I tailed the woman. Just as she was rounding the corner of the Barbie aisle, Lucas grabbed it from her, and tossed it just like a football to Jake, who was next in line at the check out counter, and then we all ran like hell," Nathan said, laughing._

"_You are kidding!" Haley said, not sure if she believed him or not._

"_Oh, I am not kidding," he assured her. "I was not gonna let that lady get away with my Maddie's Sally," he said, seriously enough so that Haley believed him. _

_She put a hand over her mouth and laughed uncontrollably. When she finally stopped laughing, she sighed. "That did knock my socks off," she teased._

Haley smiled at the memory.

"What's with the grin?" Brooke asked.

_God, did the girl __**ever**__ miss a beat?_ Haley wondered. "Nothing," she said with a sigh. "So, why all the Disney movies?" Haley asked. "I thought the girls were with Lucas and Jake."

"We may have told a teensy little lie," Peyton said.

"Why would you lie about the girls being here?" Haley asked. "You know I love to be around them."

Brooke grinned. "Laney!" she yelled.

"You guys…" Haley said, as understanding suddenly dawned. "Is…Maddie," Haley sighed as the little girl walked into the living room. She could barely see her through the tears in her eyes.


	69. Chapter 69

_I've been experiencing technical difficulties with this chapter and had to repost several times. I apologize for any inconvenience. --Angie_

_OK, I have to admit, I love this chapter! I hope you guys like it, too. Thanks for all of the reviews for last chapter! And so sorry for the long wait. I've been a bit busy! Hopefully it won't be so long in between updates from now on._

Haley hadn't put Maddie down since she'd picked her up almost an hour ago. They were walking into the kitchen behind Brooke, Laney, Peyton, and Jenny when suddenly Brooke stopped and turned around. She smiled at the sight of Maddie's head resting contentedly on Haley's shoulder. Brooke leaned in so she was face to face with the little girl. "Maddie, there are going to be things that happen here tonight that your daddy absolutely cannot know about," she said gravely.

Maddie lifted her head. "You mean sugar?" she asked.

Brooke nodded solemnly, her lips pursed. "Yes. There will be sugar eaten. But that's just the start. We will also order a ton of pizza and some soda to go along with it. So, what do you think?"

Maddie grinned. "I think my daddy doesn't have to know _every_ thing, no matter what he says," she replied.

"Good," Brooke said.

Maddie gave a tug at one of Haley's locks of hair, and she looked down. "Haley, I have to go to the bathroom," the little girl said.

"Oh, OK," Haley said, putting her down. But Maddie didn't let go of her hand.

"You're not going to leave while I'm in the bathroom, are you?" she asked, her eyes filling with sadness.

Haley bent down and wrapped her arms around Maddie. "Oh, no, Munchkin. I promise I'll be here when you come back out," she told the little girl, giving her a squeeze.

Maddie nodded uncertainly and then raced for the restroom. Haley swung around. "Brooke!" she said.

"I know! Wasn't that so sad?"Brooke said emotionally. "I think you scarred her for life." She lifted a finger to Haley's face. "You better never leave again."

Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed Brooke's finger, pushing it down. "You can't teach her to keep things from Nathan!"

"I was wondering when _his_ name would come up," Peyton said dryly.

Haley glared at her for a second then returned her gaze to Brooke. "She needs to know that she can tell her daddy everything!" Haley exclaimed.

Brooke shrugged. "Fine. I'll tell her she can tell her father. Happy now?" she said mockingly. "God, it's like you never left."

"Do you want me to go?" Haley asked sarcastically. She'd missed this banter with her friends.

"No!" Maddie yelled, breaking into a full on run and skidding to a stop in front of Haley. The poor little girls' pants weren't even all the way up yet. It was amazing she hadn't fallen on her face getting to Haley.

Haley knelt in front of her and pulled her pants all the way up, buttoning them and zipping them up. "That had to have been the fastest bathroom break ever," she commented.

"I really hurried so I could see you again," Maddie admitted, her eyes filling with tears. "Are you leaving again, Haley?" she asked desperately.

"No, honey, I'm not leaving," Haley said, smoothing Maddie's hair. "Brooke and I were just teasing each other."

"Well my daddy says it's not nice to tease. And he's right about _that_," she said with conviction then sighed. "Do you promise again that you're not leaving?" Maddie asked.

"Yes, I promise again," Haley said softly.

Maddie nodded. "OK," she said, sniffling. She wiped at her nose then nodded. "OK," she repeated. But it was clear that she was still uncertain whether or not to believe Haley.

And Haley's heart was breaking. Now she was more confused than ever. Things were over with her and Nathan, she was sure of that. But should she just come back into Maddie's life again only to leave eventually?

"Maddie," Brooke said softly as Haley stood up. "If you want to tell your daddy that we had pizza and soda and cupcakes and chips and cookies, then you should. I should never ask you not to tell your daddy something. And I won't do it again," Brooke assured the little girl.

Maddie nodded. "It's OK, Auntie Brooke. I won't tell daddy."

Brooke nodded. "OK," she said, handing Maddie a plate of pizza and chips, and a soda to go along with it.

"Oh, wait!" Haley said, running over to the fridge and opening it. She looked around, and then lifted her eyes to Brooke's. "Are there _any_ vegetables in here?"

Brooke shrugged helplessly, "We don't eat her very—oh, wait! There's some celery in the crisper!"

Haley nodded, grabbed a stalk of celery from the crisper, rinsed it off, and placed it on Maddie's plate. "A vegetable with every meal," she said.

"That's daddy's rule," Maddie said with a smile.

The six girls made their way into the living room and sat down on the floor full of blankets in front of the big screen television that had been a wedding present from Dan and Deb. They popped a movie in and made themselves comfortable, preparing for a night of food and fun.

777

Three hours later, it was dark out and the guys were still at it playing ball. They'd only stopped once, when Jeyton had woken up crying because he was hungry. They'd taken the time to feed and burp him, and then—in true Jeyton form, he'd fallen back to sleep. Jake had never seen a baby that had slept so much. Jenny certainly hadn't. But his son was a great baby and he wasn't about to complain.

They were messing around taking shots and guarding each other when Jake jumped and shot the ball. It went straight for the basket, but he never knew whether or not it went in. When he came back down to his feet, he landed wrong and Lucas and Nathan froze as they heard a cracking sound, then Jake cried out in pain. "Fuck!" he said.

"I didn't think we were allowed to say that word around Jeyton," Nathan said, clearly panicked. Unless it was Maddie, Nathan wasn't someone you wanted around in a crisis.

"So not the time, Nate!" Lucas scolded, running to Jake's side. "You OK?"

"Are you shitting me?" Jake asked through gritted teeth. "You _did_ hear that cracking sound didn't you?"

Lucas winced. "I was hoping it was a bear in the woods," he said.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't. I think I might need to get to the hospital," Jake said.

"Yeah, good idea, genius," Lucas said. "A little help here, Nate," he said, trying to help Jake to his feet.

"Oh, right," Nathan said, scrambling to Jake's side. They helped him up, and then led him to the vehicle. He had an arm around each of their shoulders.

"I'll get him in the vehicle," Lucas said over his shoulder as Jake sat down on the backseat. "You make sure we have everything," he instructed.

Nathan ran over to the court and grabbed the basketball, and then hopped into the front passengers' seat and buckled up. Lucas looked over at Nate. "Got everything?"

Nathan nodded with certainty and Lucas started the vehicle.

"Where's my kid?" Jake roared.

"Oh, shit," Nathan said, jumping back out of the vehicle.

When he couldn't seem to get out, Lucas reached over and unsnapped his seat belt. Yep, you didn't want Nate around in a crisis.

777

Peyton groaned. "I think I'm going to have to have my stomach pumped," she whispered.

"Maybe you shouldn't have had that last _bag_ of Swedish fish," Haley replied dryly.

"Oh, no, that was a good idea," Peyton said with a grin. "And so worth it." She yawned and looked at her watch. "Where is my husband? It's way past Jenny's bed time."

"I thought this was a no limits girls' night?" Haley asked.

Peyton grinned. "No limits within reason. I am a mom now," she reminded her friend.

Haley smiled back. "And you're a great one, Peyton."

"Thanks," Peyton said, basking in the compliment.

Brooke returned to the room with a bowl of ice cream. "Mmm!" she said as soon as it hit her tongue.

"Ugh. How can you still be eating?" Haley said, placing her hands on her full stomach.

Brooke grinned. "I'm like a bottomless pit," she admitted.

"Yeah, a buff one," Peyton said. "Wait until your belly jiggles like mine," she said knowingly.

"Never," Brooke said. "I'm going to be like those celebrities. I'm having C-sections and tummy tucks simultaneously," she said.

"Oh, God," Haley retorted, rolling her eyes. "That is so you!"

Brooke just grinned as she ate her ice cream.

Somewhere in the room, a cell phone started ringing. "That better be my husband," Peyton said, getting to her feet.

"Hello?" she said when she finally found her phone in the mess that was Brooke's living room. "Oh, my God! Is he OK?" There was a pause as she nodded. "I'll be right there." She snapped her phone shut. "I have to go," she said.

"Peyton, what's going on?" Brooke asked, rushing over to her friend and placing a hand on her arm.

She looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "Jake shattered his ankle," she said. "They're prepping him for surgery right now," she said.

"OK, I'll go with you and Haley can watch the kids. Right, Haley?" Brooke prompted.

Haley quickly nodded. "Absolutely."

"No," Peyton said, shaking her head. "No,no, no. That's OK. I'm just going to go by myself. You guys stay here. Once I call his parents, I'm sure they'll want to be there, too. I'll have plenty of people there to keep my company."

"OK," Brooke said. "Well, then send Jeyton home with Lucas and we'll take care of him for you while Jake's in the hospital. I don't want you to worry about anything," she said firmly. "But call me when you know something."

"OK," Peyton said. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Brooke said softly as her friend left. Then she turned to Haley. "We need to get these sleeping girls into bed," she said.

Haley nodded. "Where do you want them?"

"You and Maddie can sleep in Laney's bed and I'll sleep in me and Lucas' bed with Laney and Jenny," she said, scooping Jenny into her arms. They got the girls situated and then went to bed themselves.

777

"Dude, I can't go into surgery without seeing my wife," Jake said, tears in his eyes. He was hopped up on whatever it was the nurse had shot into his IV and his speech was slurred. Nathan was tempted to ask for some.

The door flew open and Peyton finally ran into the room. "Oh, Baby."

"Peyton," Jake said on a sigh.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

He nodded then looked up at the nurse. "OK," he said softly. "I can go into surgery now."

Lucas and Nathan took Jeyton and left the room, giving Peyton some time with her husband before they wheeled him away.

Ten minutes later, she walked into the waiting room and gently took Jeyton from Lucas' arms. "What happened to my husband?" she asked.

"He did a jump shot, and when he came down, we heard this loud crack," Lucas said.

Nathan shuddered at the memory.

"We got him here as soon as we could," Lucas explained.

Peyton nodded. "Thank you so much," she said feelingly.

Lucas pulled her into a hug. "You're welcome," he said softly. "You OK?"

Peyton's eyes filled with tears and she hastily wiped at them. "Yeah. I'm fine," she said, her voice full of tears. She laughed. "I don't know why I'm crying," she said. "It's just a broken ankle."

"It's still scary," Lucas said.

Peyton nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Brooke said that you could bring Jeyton home for me," she told him.

He nodded. "Of course."

"OK," she said. "You guys can get going. I called Jake's mom and dad on my way in and they should be here soon."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah," she said. "We'll be fine."

"OK," Lucas said.

777

"Do you want me to drive?" Nathan asked as Lucas yawned on the way to the car.

"Nahh, that's OK," Lucas said. "You staying over tonight?" he asked.

"You're gonna have a house full with Jenny and Jey," Lucas reminded him.

"So?" Lucas said. "You and Maddie can sleep in Laney's bed."

Nathan shrugged."All right," he agreed.

777

"Son of a—" Lucas whispered as he tripped on the last step to the front door. He carefully caught his balance so he wouldn't drop Jeyton. He slowly and quietly opened the front door and turned the kitchen light on. Luckily Jeyton had fallen asleep on the ride home. Nathan set his playpen up in the living room and after carefully placing Jeyton down; Lucas went into his and Brooke's room to get pajamas. He grabbed an extra pair of bottoms for Nathan and returned to the living room. "Jenny and Laney were in bed with Brooke, so Maddie must be in Laney's bed."

"OK," Nathan said. He went into the bathroom to change into the shorts, carefully folded his clothes and made his way to where he was going to sleep that night. If memory server him correctly, Laney had a Little Mermaid lamp beside her bed. When he felt his legs brush the side of the mattress, he reached over and turned the lamp on. The sight that greeted him caught him by surprise. Haley was in the bed next to Maddie. They were sleeping face to face, their foreheads resting against each others. Nathan couldn't help it. It had been six long weeks since he'd seen Haley. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, the straightened. But it wasn't enough. He reached down and pushed her hair behind her ear. He felt powerless to stop touching her, even if it was fleeting. He ran a finger down her cheek and she moved into his touch. Her eyelids fluttered open and his breath caught in his throat. "Nathan," she said huskily, closing her eyes again. She let out a long sigh. "I missed you," she whispered drowsily, returning to her slumber.

He knew it was the sleep talking, but he didn't care. And he knew she'd be mad at him in the morning, but he didn't care about that either. All he cared about when he crawled into that bed was having her next to him again. He reached over so his arm rested on Maddie's legs, his hand on Haley's waist and gave a soft pull to close the gap between the three of them. He didn't bother to turn off the lamp. Despite his exhaustion, he knew it would be a long time before sleep came. For now, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Haley.


	70. Chapter 70

The first thing Haley thought when she woke up the next morning was that the hand on her hip holding her securely in place was _not_ Maddie's. Her eyes flew open and Nathan's face was inches from hers. Haley looked around, moving as little as possible, but Maddie was nowhere in sight. She held back a sigh then rested her cheek on the soft pillow, taking the opportunity to study Nathan's face.

He really was more gorgeous than any one man had a right to be, she thought. His eye lashes were resting on his cheeks and he almost had an innocence about him as he slept. He gave a low moan in his sleep and Haley's breath caught in her throat, waiting to see if his eyes opened. They didn't. The last time Haley had been in bed with Nathan, he'd made love to her. It had been slow and sweet and she couldn't help but shiver at the memory. She tried to pull away from him, but his hold on her hip tightened and she froze.

After waiting about a minute, she tried to move again and ran into another problem. Their legs were tangled together. How she hadn't noticed before this, she'd never know. One of his knees was resting right between her thighs and suddenly it was all she could feel. Her throat went dry and she had a hard time trying to swallow. She felt like the man was seducing her in his sleep. And he was doing a damn good job of it, too. She had all she could do not to have her way with him right then. She sighed. But complications were something she didn't need right now, especially with classes starting again in just a few days.

She managed to extricate herself from him and make her way off the bed, then grabbed her clothes and ran for the bathroom. She quickly took off the night dress Brooke had let her borrow last night, threw it in the hamper, and made her way to the kitchen. "Good morning," she said breezily.

Maddie grinned at Haley over her French toast. "Morning, Haley."

"Do you want some French Toast?" Brooke asked from her place at the table. The three girls were sitting down as well, and Lucas had Jeyton in one hand and was flipping French toast with the other.

"Ummm…Haley? Where were you sleeping?" Lucas asked a little panicked.

"Laney's bedroom," she said, her cheeks turning bright pink.

"Uh-oh," Lucas said.

Brooke looked form Lucas to Haley. "Uh-oh what?" she asked confused.

Neither one answered. They didn't have to because at that exact moment, Nathan came sauntering into the kitchen with a yawn. "Morning," he said sleepily. He was wearing a pair of Lucas' pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. He must have just put the t-shirt on. He certainly hadn't had it on when Haley had climbed out of bed less than five minutes ago. He walked over to his daughter and dropped a kiss on her cheek. "Mornin' Mads," he said.

"Morning, Daddy," she said. Then she looked up at him and grinned. "Haley's here," she announced.

He lifted his eyes to Haley's. "I see that," he said softly.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Well, thanks for a great girls night last night!" she said with way too much enthusiasm. The air in the room was crackling—at least she thought it was. And she felt like she couldn't get out of there fast enough. "Oh—how's Jake?" she asked, turning to Brooke.

"He came out of surgery early this morning," she said. "And Peyton said he'd probably be able to come home tomorrow." She frowned. "But he probably won't be able to play any basketball this season."

"Oh, that's too bad," Haley said. "He must be devastated."

"Right now?" Brooke laughed. "Peyton said he's too damn high on whatever they're giving him to care."

"Well, I'm glad he's going to be O.K. Anyway—I have a lot of stuff to do today to prepare for classes, so—"

Maddie jumped down off her chair and ran over to Haley. "Oh, Haley! Do you have to go right now?" she asked.

Haley looked down into the little girls eyes and was about to say yes and then make a run for it. But she didn't have the heart. "I guess I could have a few slices of French toast," she conceded.

Maddie nodded. "Good," she said, taking Haley's hand and leading her over to the table. "You can sit next to me. Daddy, get up," she told her father, who had just sat down in the chair that had been beside Maddie's.

"But—" Nathan started.

But his daughter interrupted him, leaving no room for argument. "That's Haley's seat, Daddy," she informed him.

With a sigh, Nathan got up and walked over to the only other vacant chair. It was on the other side of the table next to Laney. When he sat down, he could feel her staring at him and then she giggled.

He turned his gaze to her. "What's up, squirt?"

She giggled again then said, "Uncle Nathan, your hair looks funny!"

"What's wrong with it?" he demanded.

"It's sticking up in a lot of different directions," she told him.

"Well, I don't really know how. There was barely any room in that bed last night," he said, sending a pointed look Haley's way. He had found one position and stayed that way all night. He had been afraid, even in his sleep apparently, that once she saw him she'd bolt. Apparently he'd been right.

She blushed bright pink and he gave a satisfied grin.

"Keep it P.G., Nate," Lucas warned.

"What'd I say?"

At Brooke's dirty look, Nathan snapped his jaw shut.

777

"I'll be right back," Brooke said, following Lucas from the room a few minutes later. She walked into the bathroom where he was brushing his teeth and gave him a smack on the arm. "How in the hell did Nathan end up in bed with Haley last night?" she asked impatiently.

Lucas tried to say "owww" but the sound came out a little distorted due to the tooth brush in his mouth. He took it out and then spit into the sink. He turned to look at his wife. "How was I supposed to know that Haley was sleeping in Laney's bed?" Lucas defended himself. "It's not like her car was in the driveway!"

"It's in the shop," Brooke informed him. "She came in a taxi."

"Oh."

Brooke sighed. "Is this gonna be awkward _all_ the time?" she asked.

"Nahh," Luke said. "Once they get back together, everything is going to be fine."

"You say that with such certainty," she said.

"Have you _met_ my brother?"

Brooke grinned.

"He usually gets what he wants. And trust me, babe, he wants Haley," Lucas told her, wrapping his arms around her. Just before his lips came down onto hers, they heard Jeyton start to cry. Lucas sighed and dropped is forehead on her shoulder. "I'm a little frustrated," he said.

"Because you didn't get any last night?" she teased.

He grinned. "It was going to be a little hard to maneuver with Laney and Jenny in the bed," he admitted.

She smacked him on the arm again. "OK, eww!" she said.

Lucas put a finger to his lips and made a shushing noise. "Do you hear that?"

"What?" Brooke whispered.

"Exactly."

They opened the bathroom door and walked back into the kitchen. Nathan was sitting at the table, eating his French toast with the fork in one hand, and holding Jeyton in place on his lap with the other.

"Do you want me to take him?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm good," he said, taking a swallow of orange juice.

"Haley," Maddie said, "Maybe you could come over and watch a movie with me and Daddy tonight."

"I don't think so, Honey," she said apologetically, not meeting Nathan's eyes. "I'm sure your daddy is busy."

Nathan shrugged. "Not really," he said.

Maddie grinned. "See?"

"I—have to do some laundry today," she told Maddie.

"You could do it at the beach house," Nathan said.

"Well, aren't you accommodating?" she snapped, finally meeting his eyes.

They were twinkling and he had that damn smirk on his face.

"I try," he said smugly.

"You know, Maddie, my car is in the shop and I'd hate to have your daddy have to bring you out late just to get me home," she reasoned.

"We'll get ya home early," Nathan promised with another grin, taking another bite of his breakfast.

"Well, then," Haley said weakly. "I guess…there's…nothing stopping me from visiting you tonight, Maddie."

The little girl grinned from ear to ear. "I can't wait to show you my new tea set, Haley!" she said.

Haley smiled at the little girl, then lifted her eyes to Nathan's and glared what she hoped were daggers at him.

777

"Are you really going to go to Nathan's tonight?" Brooke asked later that morning after Nathan and Maddie had left.

"Well, I don't really see any way to get out of it. And believe me, I tried," Haley said huffily.

Brooke laughed. "Maddie was so excited to see you."

Haley nodded. "It goes both ways."

"I know," Brooke said. "And…it's probably not place to tell you this, but Nathan had a really hard time with her after you left."

"What do you mean?" Haley asked.

Brooke shrugged. "Oh, he couldn't do anything right as far as she was concerned. She didn't even want him near her. She only wanted you. I think it really broke his heart."

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" Haley asked.

"No," Brooke said. "I just want you to remember that it's not just two adults involved here, Haley. There's Maddie to think about, too. And she's crazy about you."

"I know that," Haley said.

"And a whole school year is a whole lot of time for that little girl to get even more attached to you," she reminded her friend.

"Brooke, what do you want me to do?" Haley asked. "I tried to get out of it, but Nathan wouldn't let me."

"Yes, but I don't think Nathan is thinking with his head right now," Brooke said.

"Brooke, that's just gross!" Haley reproached.

"Haley!" Brooke scolded back. "I don't think he's thinking with_ that_, either," she said with an eye roll. "I meant, where you're concerned, Nathan is thinking with his heart."

"Brooke—Nathan knows where he stands with me now."

"And how does he know that?" Brooke asked, crossing her arms.

"I made it clear to him in California after your wedding," she said.

"Well, you might want to make it a little more clear," Brooke said. "The guy did try to see you in New York. And that was _after_ California. Apparently he's still thinking there's something between the two of you."

Haley sighed. "I'll set him straight," she promised.

Brooke nodded. "Good."


	71. Chapter 71

Haley sighed as she picked up the few dirty articles of clothing on her bedroom floor and tossed them into her laundry basket. She hadn't been lying to Nathan. She _did_ have laundry that she needed to do. She just hadn't planned on doing it at his house. But if he was going to offer, Haley wasn't going to say no. She looked around her apartment for her car keys and wallet, tossed her wallet in the basket with her clothes and made her way out the front door. The temperature was just below 100 degrees outside and after she'd walked down the two flights of stairs and opened the front door, the hot air assaulted her. She was tempted to run for her car just to be in air conditioned temperature again, but she didn't want to get all sticky and sweaty. Thank God the sun would be setting in just a few hours. Hopefully that would cool things off.

Fifteen minutes later, she was sitting in front of the beach house seriously debating on ditching Nathan. She sighed. And if Maddie wasn't there, she would have. But she couldn't do that to the little girl. Especially after last night when they'd been so excited to see each other. She opened her car door and the front door opened as she made her way up the walk.

Maddie ran out the front door in a little pink frilly bathing suit and flip flops and Nathan stood in the doorway wearing a short sleeved button up that was—of course, with Haley's luck—unbuttoned. His hair was wet—he must have just gotten out of the shower—and his chest was this amazing bronze color. Even from where she was standing—halfway up the walk—his six-pack was evident. He had on a pair of jeans and his feet were bare. Haley almost groaned at the sight of him. She couldn't help but think that she really needed adult supervision when she was around him.

Haley's appearance didn't go unnoticed by Nathan, either. She was wearing a pair of flip flops with her toenails painted a light pink color and a khaki colored skirt that stopped well above her knees—and her legs were darker than they were when he'd last seen them. Wrapped around his waist. _Dammit,_ he thought. _Focus, Nathan!_ He forced himself to look upward. She was wearing a white spaghetti strapped v-neck top and her hair was up in a messy bun. There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead just from being out of the car for less than a minute and the few wisps of loose hair around her face were in little ringlets. The heat was definitely messing with it. But she still looked adorable. _Adorable?_ Nathan sighed.

"Haley!" Maddie said as she came running down the walk.

"Hey, Munchkin," Haley said, sitting down her laundry basket and picking the little girl up in her arms. Haley let out a screech. "You're wet!"

Maddie nodded enthusiastically. "I've been in the shallow end of the pool," she told Haley. "Daddy says if I go in the deep end, he'll skin my hide. What does that mean, Haley?"

"It means that he'll get very mad," she said seriously.

Maddie's eyes widened. "Daddy is just like a _bear_ when he gets mad!" she confided.

Haley laughed and put the little girl down. "I bet he is," she said, picking up her basket once again and heading for the door.

"Hi," Nathan said softly as she walked in.

"Hi," she said not quite meeting his eyes.

She walked past him into the kitchen and put her basket down. When she straightened, her eyes flew to the table and she frowned.

"The candles were _my_ idea," Maddie said. "Do you like it?"

Haley laughed. "I _love_ it," she said. "It's a great idea. Did you set the table all by yourself?"

Maddie nodded. "While daddy chopped up vegetables," she said. "He showed me which side the forks go on, though. You guys get steak knives, but I don't. Daddy said he'll cut up my steak for me."

Haley smiled softly at her. "Probably a good idea."

Maddie smiled back in agreement.

Nathan had been leaning against the counter watching the exchange between Haley and Maddie. He stepped away and walked over to the refrigerator. "I'm just going to get these steaks and potatoes on the grill," he said, as he pulled the dish of steaks out. "Do you want to get started on your laundry?"

Haley nodded.

"I'll help you, Haley," Maddie said, going over to Haley's basket and picking it up.

"I can get that," Haley said.

Maddie gave her a strained grin. "It's OK. You're a guest. Right, Daddy?" she asked, looking to her father for confirmation.

Nathan nodded. "That's right, Mads."

Maddie led the way to the stairs off the kitchen and Haley followed closely, wanting to make sure the little girl didn't topple over backwards on the stairs while carrying the basket that was almost twice her size.

"You OK?" Haley asked,

"Mmm-hmm," Maddie said in an unconvincing tone. When they reached the top of the stairs, Maddie dropped the basket and took a deep breath. "Let's just have a little rest," she said wrinkling her nose.

"Sure," Haley said.

"Did you know that my Daddy makes really good steaks on the grill?" she asked.

Haley shook her head. "I didn't know that."

"Well, he does. Even better than my Uncle Lucas and _my_ Uncle Lucas is a really good cook!"

"That's right. I had some of his French toast yesterday morning," Haley said.

"Wasn't it delicious?" Maddie asked.

Haley nodded. "It really was."

Maddie sighed and picked up the basket and made her way over to the washer. "Can I sit on the dyer while you put your clothes in the washer?" she asked.

Haley nodded and put her hands around the little girls' waist. She lifted her up and put her on the dryer, then turned the washer on and put some detergent in. Maddie squealed as Haley was putting her clothes in the washer and grabbed the article of clothing from her hand. "Haley, is this your bathing suit?!" she asked.

"Part of it," Haley said, reaching into her basket for more clothes.

"Maybe we can go swimming before we watch a movie?" Maddie said excitedly.

"Maybe," Haley said half-heartedly. The thought of seeing Nathan in next to nothing was down right tempting.

Maddie jumped down off the washer and ran for the stairs. "I'm going to tell daddy that you brought your bathing suit!" she said.

"Maddie, I'm not sure—" Haley never got to finish her sentence because the little girl was already racing down the stairs.

When she got her load of clothes in the washer she went back down into the kitchen and Nathan and Maddie were both nowhere to be found. She walked into the living room and the patio doors were open. She walked out onto the deck and Nathan was checking the steaks while Maddie was sitting in a lounge chair sipping on a glass of lemonade. She had her sunglasses on—hot pink with little daisies at the upper corners.

"Daddy?" she asked. "Can I get in the pool again?"

"Geez, Mads, you're just like a fish today!" he teased.

She giggled and nodded in agreement. "Can I?"

"Why don't you wait until we're done eating?" he asked. "Then maybe Haley and I will get with you."

"OK," she said excitedly, settling back down on the chair. "Haley, come sit next to me!" she said.

Haley walked over and sat down on the chair next to Maddie's. She lifted her legs up and laid back, sighing contentedly, her eyes closed. "Ahh…this is the life."

"Isn't it, though?" Nathan concurred.

Her eyes snapped open and she turned toward his voice. He was lying down in the chair next to hers. "What are you doing?"

Nathan laughed. "I'm sitting down next to you. Is that OK?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, closing her eyes again.

They opened once again when she heard Nathan grunt. "What are you doing to me, Kid?" he asked.

Maddie giggled. "I'm sitting on your belly," she said, bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, and getting me wet," he said, tickling her neck.

"I'm almost dry, Daddy," she said between giggles.

Nathan jumped up with his daughter in his arms. "Maybe I can fix that," he said, walking over to the side of the pool. He pretended to throw her in.

"Daddy, no!" she screeched.

"Why not?" he asked. "I thought you could swim," he said.

"Only with my floaties!" she reminded him.

"Oh!" he said, feigning realization. He buried his face in her neck and nuzzled her, then returned to his chair. "Do you really think I'd throw you into that pool, Mads?" he asked.

"Of course not, Daddy!" she said solemnly.

777

"This was a good idea, Maddie," Nathan said a little later as they were sitting around the candlelit table.

Maddie nodded eagerly.

"I agree," Haley said, picking up the glass of red wine Nathan had poured for her and taking a sip.

"Daddy, can I go to the bathroom?" Maddie asked.

Nathan nodded. "Don't forget to wash your hands."

"I won't," she promised, jumping down off her chair and racing for the bathroom.

"So, how are you—" Nathan started.

"Can you just…can you do me a favor?" Haley interrupted urgently.

"Sure," Nathan said cautiously.

"Can you…button up your shirt?" she asked.

He sat there for a moment dumbfounded. "Is that why you haven't made eye contact with me even _once_ tonight?" he asked softly.

Haley didn't say anything, just raised her wineglass to her lips and took a sip as her cheeks pinkened.

"Oh, I get it," he teased. "It's because I'm too sexy, right?"

Haley cleared her throat. "Something like that," she mumbled.

Nathan smirked at her over his glass and took a bite of his steak.

777

"She's out like a light," Nathan whispered about ten minutes after they'd put The Aristocats in the DVD player. "I'm gonna get her upstairs."

"I'll follow you," she said. "I still need to fold my clothes."

They'd never made it into the pool. Just before supper, Haley had switched her load of laundry to the dryer and then they'd started supper at 7:30, later than they normally ate. By the time they were done eating, Maddie was practically asleep in her plate. Haley had helped Nathan with dishes and then they'd gone into the living room and put the movie in. Maddie hadn't even lasted through the first few minutes of the film.

Haley finished folding her clothes while Nathan changed Maddie into her jammies. She brought her basket downstairs and was putting on her flip flops when Nathan walked into the room. He put his hands in his pockets. "She never even woke up," he said.

"Must have been the sun," Haley said.

"Yeah, she always sleeps better when she's been swimming and keeping busy all day." Nathan laughed. "Which she usually does."

Haley wasn't sure if it was the combination of the sun and the wine or just the fact that she'd gone so long without seeing him, but it was almost as if she could feel his hands all over her bare skin again. It was like it had been only moments ago that they'd been in that hotel room in California instead of weeks. "Nathan, I—" she started breathily.

"I think we should be friends," Nathan said quickly.

Haley blinked in surprise. When she got herself together, she managed to paste an amused look on her face. "_You_ want to be friends?" she asked.

"Yes," he said emphatically.

Haley studied his face for a moment before answering. "You better mean this, Nathan, because I swear to God, if you don't…" she trailed off.

"I mean it," he promised.

Haley nodded. "Friends it is, then," she agreed. "I'll see you later."

She opened the door and fled to the car with her basket in tow. When she sped away from the curb, she took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. "Friends," she whispered. And she'd been about to beg him to kiss her senseless.

_Author's Note: I'm getting a lot of reviews telling me that people just want Haley and Nathan back together, which I can try to speed up if that's what you really want. However, I do have a 'plot' planned in my head, and I think you'll like it if you can hold out for it. I need to know if you **really** want me to put Haley and Nathan to get together immediately, of if you're OK with the way things are going. I'd rather not change my plot, but I also don't want you all getting bored and to stop reading. So if that is what you really want, I can do that. Just let me know! _

_And thanks again for all of your reviews! I love reading them!_


	72. Chapter 72

"Let's be friends?" Lucas said mockingly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jake asked.

"I don't know!" Nathan said with a shrug. "I was just afraid that if I didn't say _some_thing, then…she was just gonna…run again!"

"Dude, I'm hopped up on Vicodin, and I'm still smarter than you are! You don't say 'let's be friends' when you don't mean it." Jakes eyes narrowed. "In fact, you don't say it at all!"

"What are you? A chick?" Lucas asked with an eye roll.

"What was I supposed to do?" Nathan asked.

"Uhhh…anything but that," Lucas suggested.

"Yeah, because you're an expert," Nathan said dryly.

"Hey, say what you will. But I got my girl," Lucas said proudly.

"Yeah, well, Brooke's a lot easier than Haley," Nathan said.

"Easier? She called off our wedding…what was it? Three times?"

Nathan shrugged. "Well, what brought her back?" he asked.

"My good lovin'" Lucas said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, apparently that doesn't work with Haley," Nathan replied.

"You must suck in the sac," Lucas joked.

"Not funny, big brother."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You had sex with our innocent little Haley?" Jake asked. "When?"

"Not the time, Jake!" Nathan said.

"I can't wait to tell Peyton!" Jake said excitedly.

"No!" Lucas and Nate said at once.

"Geez," Jake said. "What's the big deal?"

"For me?" Lucas asked. "Brooke doesn't know I know. And if she _did_ find out about Nate and Haley's little night of…not good enough sex to keep her around—"

"Thanks, man," Nate said sarcastically.

"Anytime," Luke said, not missing a beat. "Then she'd kill me! I am not allowed to _keep_ secrets from Brooke!"

Jake shrugged. "Well, I don't _like_ to keep them from Peyton."

"Dude—she left for L.A. when she was knocked up with your baby! I'd say you owe her one," Lucas said desperately.

"Good point," Jake said with sigh. "OK. Right. Yeah, I won't tell Peyton. This is between us guys. Because that's what manly chat is all about," Jake said proudly.

Lucas and Nate rolled their eyes.

Jake threw his head back and started chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Nathan asked.

"I can't believe you suck in the sac," he said.

Nathan glared at him. "You want another broken ankle?"

Jake gave him an amused glare. "I hope this isn't how you treat all your_ friends_."

777

"He wants to just be friends?" Brooke asked.

"Yep," Haley said with a nod.

Brooke laid back on her lawn chair and laughed.

"What?" Haley asked, turning over onto her stomach. She was trying to even out her tan.

"That's what guys say when they're so in love with you that they can't admit it. It's a last ditch effort to keep you around," Brooke informed her.

"It is not," Haley argued.

"Peyton?" Brooke asked.

"I'm afraid she's right, Haley," Peyton agreed.

"No, you're both wrong," Haley informed them. "I _really_ think he meant it."

"Believe whatever you want to believe, Haley. But when the time comes, I reserve the right to say 'I told you so,'" Brooke warned.

"Well, there's something new," Haley said sarcastically.

Peyton laughed at her comment then said, "Well, whatever happens, I'm just glad you guys found a way to coexist. It's going to be a lot easier for all of us to be together."

"Laney!" Brooke yelled. "Will you _please _put your bathing suit top back on?" she yelled at her daughter. "My God," she complained. "That kid would walk around naked all the time if we'd let her!"

Peyton laughed. "Just like her new mom?" she teased.

"Yes, well, I think one of me in _any_ family is quite enough," Brooke said, turning to Haley. "So, when do we get to see the new apartment?"

Haley groaned inwardly. "You don't," she said.

"Why not?" Peyton asked.

"It's nothing special," Haley assured them.

"You haven't even told us where it is yet," Brooke said.

There was a short pause before Haley answered. "Maple Street," she told them, cringing.

"What?" Peyton said sitting up abruptly.

"What's wrong with Maple Street?" Brooke asked.

"It's in the worst part of town!" Peyton told her.

"Haley!" Brooke said. "You moved into the ghetto?"

"I'm not in the ghetto!" Haley said, defending her neighborhood. "Tree Hill doesn't even have a ghetto. This isn't Compton, for crying out loud."

"You better not join a gang!" Brooke said dramatically.

Haley rolled her eyes underneath her sunglasses. "Honest to Pete. Thanks a lot, Peyton!"

"You're welcome," Peyton said with a big grin.

"So, did you keep in shape over the summer, Haley?" Brooke asked. "Because you're looking a little…you know."

"No, I don't know, Brooke. Suppose you spell it out for me," Haley said.

Brooke cleared her throat. "Soft," she said cautiously.

Haley laughed. "That's because I ate like my sister this summer. She was as big as a house when I left. Every day after lunch, we'd walk down the streets of Bar Harbor—well, I'd walk, she'd waddle, really—and go for ice cream. Same thing after supper. Ice cream twice a day. It was awful for my body, but so delicious." She stuck her tongue out at Brooke, not sure if she was looking or not due to her sunglasses. "So, yes. I'm _soft_. But I'm not going to apologize for it. I had a wonderful summer with my sister."

"That's nice," Peyton said.

"Yeah…chubs," Brooke joked.

"Hey!" Haley said. She grabbed the hose beside her and jumped up. Not even seeing it coming, Brooke shrieked and jumped up, but Peyton's lawn chair fell over as she tried to get up and she was stuck underneath it on the ground.

"I didn't even call you fat!" she yelled. "Why are you squirting _me_?"

"Because you're friends with her!" Haley said, motioning her head to Brooke. She had the hose on full force squirting Peyton.

Jenny and Laney got into the middle of it, screeching and squealing, running around while Haley kept up a steady stream of water. "That's it," Brooke said. "Time for a huddle."

Peyton finally made her way to her feet, and she, Jenny, and Laney went over to Brooke for a huddle. A minute later, they came apart and with loud yells, ran at Haley all at the same time.

Haley screamed as they charged at her and took off at a dead run. Brooke picked up the hose she'd just dropped. "You better run, Haley James!" she warned. She kept running after her friend until she was in range of the water, and squirted the hose, soaking Haley. And that was what they guys saw when they arrived.

777

"What the hell was that?" Lucas asked as he slammed the door to his SUV.

"I'm not sure," Nathan said.

They heard another scream and took off running for the backyard. They came to a screeching halt when they saw the girls in the backyard—bikini clad—and water streaming down their bodies.

"Dude—it's like girls gone wild in your backyard," Nathan said. He turned to Lucas and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Let's never leave!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, your _friend_ is pretty hot in a bikini, huh?" he ribbed.

"Shut up," Nathan muttered.

Jake finally reached them on his crutches. "Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"Nahh," Luke said.

Jake sighed. "God, my girl is hot," he said, letting out a low whistle.

The sound carried and caused the girls to turn in their direction. "Hey, baby!" Brooke said, walking over to Lucas. "Miss me?" she said with a gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah," he said carefully. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said slyly, leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. When he leaned in, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and pressed her body into his.

He let out a yelp. "Brooke!" he said. "You're getting me wet!"

"Right back at ya," she whispered in his ear.

He groaned and had to force himself to push her away. He was _not_ going to give his friends and his daughter a show…no matter how much he wanted to.

"Hey," Peyton said, wrapping her towel around herself as she approached Jake. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "How's your ankle doing?"

"Oh, you know, enough Vicodin and I can't even feel it," he joked.

Peyton laughed. "You're hardly even taking any," she scolded him.

"Gotta be lucid, babe. We've got kids around most of the time," he reasoned.

"Yes, but I'll take care of the kids," she said. "For now, I want _you_…to take care of _you._"

Laney came running up to Lucas and Brooke. "Hi, daddy!" she said excitedly. "We had a water fight!"

"You don't say?" Lucas teased, lifting his little girl off the ground all wrapped up in her towel.

"I _do_ say," Laney said. "And know how it started?"

"How?" Lucas asked.

She giggled. "Mommy called Haley fat!"

"What?" Lucas said in disbelief.

"I think she was teasing," Laney said.

"I was just making sure she was in shape for cheering," Brooke said.

Haley walked up all wrapped up in her towel. "I'm not cheering this year, Brooke," she told her friend.

"What? First Peyton and now you?" she whined.

Jake's eyes flew to his wife's face. "You're not cheering?" he asked in surprise.

She shook her head.

"Why not?" he demanded.

She shrugged. "I have a family to take care of."

"Peyton, if I can't play basketball, you might as well cheer," he told her. "There's no reason for both of us to have to give something up. I'm going to be home, anyway."

"But I don't feel like I'm giving anything up. I _want_ to be home with you and the kids," she told him. "I was going to take the semester off so I could be home to take care of Jeyton."

"Over my dead body!" Jake said.

"Excuse me?" Peyton asked.

Jake sighed. "OK, I didn't mean that to sound as 'caveman' as it did. I won't let you drop out of school, Peyton. You've worked hard, and you deserve to get your degree," he said softly.

Peyton smiled tenderly at her husband.

"Wow! That _really_ could have been a fight," Brooke observed. "But you two were really mature and I'm very proud of you!" she said.

"Gee, thanks, Brooke," Peyton said wryly.

"You're welcome," Brooke said, choosing to ignore her friends tone. "As for you, Missy," she said, turning to Haley. "What do you mean you're not going to cheer?"

"It's my last year of college, Brooke," she said. "And I'm not going to get lazy just because I'm almost finished. I intend to spend every spare moment I have studying."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "This is going to be a really boring year," she said with a pout. But Brooke, being Brooke, snapped right out of it. "You guys staying for supper?" she asked. "Luke is going to order a mean pizza!" she joked.

"Well, gee, I would," Haley said teasingly. "But my _gang_ initiation is tonight and I'd really like to freshen up for it."

"Not funny, Haley James!" Brooke scolded seriously.

"What gang initiation?" Nathan asked.

"Nothing," Haley said, giving Brooke and Peyton stern looks. Peyton ignored it.

"Haley's living in a part of town that's just a bit rough," she said.

Nathan laughed. "What—you mean like Maple Street?" he asked.

No one said anything, and Nathan looked at Haley, who wouldn't meet his eyes. "You _live_ on Maple Street?" he asked heatedly.

"Oh, God," she said. "Et tu, Brute?"

Nathan shook his head. "Nope," he said shortly. "I don't even have an opinion on this."

"Really?" she said doubtfully.

Nathan nodded his head. "Yep," he said. "I'll be right back. I left my phone in the car and I want to call my folks and check on Maddie."

Luke pulled his phone out of his pocket. "You can use mine," he offered.

"That's OK," Nathan said, jogging towards the SUV.

He pulled his phone out and hit speed dial.

"Dad?" he said when his father answered. "Do you think you could get the police station to beef up security on Maple Street?"


	73. Chapter 73

_Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who replied to the question I asked a few chapters ago. I have decided that I'm going to go along with my original plot. Selfishly, I'm not ready to say goodbye to this story yet—especially Laney, Maddie, and Jenny, so I'm glad most of you want me to continue as planned. Also—I was made aware that I robbed you of a pool scene last chapter. So sorry about that! LOL Thanks again for all of your reading and reviews and enjoy the chapter!_

Haley lifted the hair off the back of her neck and sighed. She walked over to the freezer and put some ice cubes in a glass, then sat down on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table. Lifting out one of the ice cubes, she started rubbing it up one leg and down the other. It was the end of September and North Carolina was in the middle of a heat wave. Heat she could handle, but the power was out due to a blown transformer, and they didn't have an estimated time that it was going to be restored. That meant no air conditioner for God only knew how long. And being on the third floor, her apartment was like a sauna. She grabbed her cell phone off the coffee table and quickly dialed Brooke's cell.

"Hello?" she heard from the other end of the phone.

"Hey," she said irritably.

Brooke laughed. "What's wrong?"

Haley sighed. "It's so damn hot in this apartment," she complained.

"Your building doesn't have a generator?" she asked.

She heard Peyton in the background laughing at the question.

"The gang couldn't afford one," Haley said dryly.

"Well, why don't you come over? We're sitting outside watching the kids play in the pool," she said.

"I think I will," she said. "I'm bored out of my mind, and it's too hot to concentrate on studying." Plus, she was all caught up on her reading. School had only been in session for a few weeks, and Haley felt like the professors were starting off lightly with homework. She was expecting to get slammed any day now. Otherwise, it was going to be one boring semester. Keeping up had been much easier than she'd thought so far.

"Great. We're at the beach house," she said.

"You're at Nathan's?" Haley whined.

"Yes, we're at Nate's. Is that a problem?"

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to come over," she said.

"Why? What's wrong with hanging out with some _friends_?" Brooke asked. There was more giggling from Peyton.

"Tell Peyton she's as good as dead the next time I see her," Haley ordered.

"In about fifteen minutes, then?"

"No," Haley said. "I'm just gonna stay home."

"Hey, Nate," she heard Brooke yell. "What do you think about Haley coming over?"

"I think it's a great idea," she heard him say in the background

"See? He thinks it's a great idea," Brooke said, her voice dripping with triumph.

Haley could hear splashing around and little girls screeching and could tell they were having a good time. "Fine," she said. "I'm on my way."

"See you in a bit," Brooke said. Haley heard her phone click as her friend hung up.

She looked down at what she was wearing—the shortest pair of shorts and skimpiest spaghetti strap tank top she owned and decided against changing. It was going to take too much energy and she'd just work up another sweat in the process. She threw a few things in her bag—bikini included—stepped into her flip flops, and headed for Nathan's.

777

She pulled up to the beach house a little while later, let herself in, and made her way to the back deck. "Hey," she said, stepping through French doors.

"Haley!" Maddie yelled from the pool. "Look at me! I'm swimming!"

"And you're doing great!" Haley said.

"Hey, Hales," Brooke said from her chaise lounge. Peyton grinned at her from beside Brooke. They'd obviously just been in the pool to cool off. Their hair was still wet.

"Hey," Haley said, sitting down next to Brooke.

"Did you bring your bathing suit?" Peyton asked.

Haley nodded.

"Then go put it on," she said.

Haley lay back on the lawn chair. "In a minute," she said with a contented sigh.

"Isn't it nice?" Brooke said from beside her.

Haley nodded and closed her eyes. "It's a heck of a lot cooler on the ocean."

Her eyes opened when she heard a splash and then a shriek from Laney. "Uncle Nathan, I said I didn't want to play shark anymore!" she scolded. "Daddy! Get him!" she yelled to Lucas.

Lucas laughed as he swam over to Laney. "You're gonna have to take your uncle on your own," he told her. "If you're in the pool, you're fair game."

"But I don't want to play a game!" she argued.

"That's not what it means, Blue," he told her, then went on to explain the expression.

"For crying out loud, Haley!" Brooke said. "You have sweat dripping down your entire body and you're not even moving. Go get in your bathing suit and get in the pool!"

Haley sighed and, grabbing her bag, made her way to the little room off the deck. She shut the door behind her and locked it, then started to undress. She put on her bikini and studied herself in the mirror with a sigh. She _really_ did not want to go out there in this bikini. For one thing, she wasn't all that sure that it was appropriate to be wearing in front of the girls. And for another, well, she wasn't sure she'd be all that comfortable wearing it in front of Nathan. It was practically the last step before naked. When she'd bought it, the only thing she'd had in mind were tan lines and the fact that she didn't want any.

She'd done her best avoiding looking at Nathan so far, but she was sure that once she did, her head would be filled with visions of their night in California. "Suck it up, Haley," she said out loud to herself. "You've seen hot men before." _But not like Nathan_, her mind screamed. Ignoring the voice in her head, she walked to the door and opened it slowly.

777

As soon as Haley stepped back onto the deck, Nathan froze. She was standing there in the smallest bikini he'd ever seen. It was smaller than Brooke's, and _that_ was saying something. It was all white—what there was of it. There were two small triangles covering her breasts and it tied on her back and up behind her neck. The bottom was made the same way—tied on her hips. His mind instantly untied the bows and the bottom fell away. He shook his head to clear it and then sighed. His _daughter _was in his arms, for crying out loud. "Daddy, are you trying to catch flies?" Maddie asked with a frown.

"What?" he asked confused. "No."

"Then you might want to close your mouth," she said innocently.

Nathan snapped his jaw shut, but not before Lucas started laughing. He gave his brother a glare and returned his eyes to Haley. She was walking over to the diving board. Without an ounce of hesitation, she walked to the end and dove into the pool, a small splash from her body hitting the water.

"Wow!" Maddie screeched. "That was so cool! Put me down, Daddy!" she instructed.

When Haley surfaced, her eyes found Maddie and she swam over to her. "Haley! That was so cool!" the little girl said before Haley even reached her. "Daddy and Lucas walk in on the steps, and it takes them_ forever_!" she said.

"It does not!" Nathan said defending himself.

"Does, too," Brooke yelled from her spot on the deck. "For the first ten minutes, I think the only thing of yours in the pool was your big toe," she teased.

"Look at that," Lucas said.

"What?" Nathan said, following his brothers gaze.

"There goes your masculinity."

Nathan rolled his eyes and swam over to the side of the pool. He put his hands on the deck and lifted himself out.

777

And Haley's eyes never left him. She could see the muscles in his arm flex as he got out of the pool and had to stop herself from sighing. "Mads," he said.

"What, Daddy?" she said, her head turning towards her father.

"Come out of the pool for a minute so we can get some more sunscreen on you."

"OK," she said, splashing her way over to the steps of the pool with the little floaties on her arms. "Haley, too?" she asked.

"Uhh…" Nathan said.

"I put some on when I changed," Haley lied.

Maddie nodded as she got out of the pool, water dripping at her feet. "Daddy can get you later," she said.

"Do I need sunscreen, Daddy?" Laney asked Lucas.

He nodded. "It's probably a good idea," he said.

The two of them got out of the pool and Haley looked around. "Where are Jake and the kids?" she asked.

"Jake's at his parents and the kids are staying with them tonight," Peyton told Haley. "His dad's going to drop him off in a little while."

"Oh," Haley said, getting out of the pool. She made her way back to the chaise beside Brooke's and lay down. "That is _much_ better," Haley said.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked his brother.

"I'm going to get dressed," Nathan said. "I need to run to the store to get a few things for supper. Do you mind watching Maddie for me while I go?" he asked.

"I'll go with you," Lucas said, toweling himself off and heading inside. "The girls can watch the girls," he said over his shoulder.

Nate went in and changed, much to Haley's relief. But it was short lived. When he came back out, he was wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt. He sat down in a chair a few over, Maddie running over in her towel to sit on her daddy's lap, and Haley forced herself to close her eyes and think of something else. "I'm hot again already," she said aloud.

She heard Maddie giggle and whisper something in Nathan's ear.

"I don't think so, Maddie," she heard him say.

"But Daddy, those are the rules," she reminded him in what was supposed to be a whisper.

Haley smiled to herself. She loved conversations between Nathan and Maddie. "What are you smiling at?" she heard from right above her.

"What…are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"You said hot," Nathan explained.

"Well, you just did, too," she accused.

"That's our word of the day," he said.

"Your…what?"

"Anyone who says hot gets tossed into the pool, right Uncle Nathan?" Laney said excitedly.

He smirked at Haley. "Yep," he said, gathering her in his arms.

"This is stupid!" she said. "I've already been in the pool—"

"You're going in again," Nathan said, giving her a toss.

"Not alone!" she screeched, throwing her arms around his neck. Nathan let out a yelp and fell sideways into the pool with Haley's arms clinging to him.

He came up for air, Haley right behind him. "Take that," she said victoriously, a grin on her face. She tried to swim away, but didn't get far. Nathan had his hand around her ankle.

He pulled her to his chest, arms wrapped around her waist. "Oh, it's on," he said.

She laughed breathlessly.

"Get her, Uncle Nathan!" Laney yelled from beside the pool.

"Get her, Daddy!" Maddie yelled at the same time, jumping up and down.

"What are you going to do?" she asked defiantly.

"What do you _want_ me to do?" he shot back.

"Let me go?" she suggested hopefully.

"Not a chance in hell," he said, too comfortable. He knew he was close to crossing the line, but if she wasn't going to complain…

Haley threw her head back and laughed and Nathan had to remind himself that his lips didn't _belong_ on her neck.

"But you started this," she reminded him.

"_I _wasn't the one who said hot."

"_I_ was never made aware of the rules!"

"Well, you know now," he said softly.

Haley could feel goose bumps forming on her skin and laughed nervously. "Anything else I should know about?" she asked softly.

Nathan abruptly let her go and swallowed past the lump of desire that had been burning in his throat since she'd walked out in that damn bikini. "Not that I can think of," he said thickly.


	74. Chapter 74

"Sorry I'm late," Haley said three weeks later as she burst into Lucas and Brooke's apartment for Saturday night dinner. Their schedules were so different this semester that they barely saw each other, so they'd decided that Saturday nights were going to be set aside to spend time together.

Brooke looked over her shoulder from her spot on the couch. "It's OK," she said. "The pizza's not even here yet."

"Good," Haley said, kicking off her shoes.

"Why _are _you late?" Peyton asked.

"Hi, Haley!" Maddie said from her father's stomach. Nathan was lying on the floor and she was sitting on his belly watching television while the other two little girls were sprawled out on the living room floor.

"Hey, Munchkin," Haley said, kicking off her flip flops. She sighed and made her way into the living room. "I fell asleep while I was studying again," she explained.

"Are you not sleeping well?" Brooke asked.

Haley sighed. "I'm not sure _what_ is going on in my neighborhood," she said with a frown. "But every single time I look out my front window, there seems to be a cop car going by. And not just cruising right by. He's going super slow. It's just a little disconcerting."

Lucas' and Jakes' gazes flew to each others, then to Nathans' face, but he wouldn't look at them. He uncomfortably cleared his throat and fixed his attention on the television.

"Maybe it's gang initiation week and they had to beef up security," Peyton said dryly.

Haley laughed. "Maybe," she said. "But _I _didn't get the memo."

Nathan gave her a dirty look from where he was sitting, putting his two cents in with his expression.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what's on the agenda for tonight?" she asked.

Lucas shrugged. "Just pizza and movies," he said then yawned. "Brooke had me painting all day."

"I helped," Nathan said.

"Yeah, thanks for supervising me," Lucas said sarcastically. "Even though there was another roller sitting _right_ there."

Nathan grinned. "I was wearing my good jeans."

"Geez," Lucas scoffed. "Who are you? My brother or my _sister?_"

"Anyway," Brooke said, the pizza should be here soon.

"Pizza and movies?" Haley said in disappointment. "But I've been bored all week long. I was hoping for an evening of _fun_."

"You've been bored?" Brooke said.

Haley nodded and sat down on the floor by Brooke's feet. "Yes. As it turns out, this semester isn't nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be." She put a pout on her face. "And I have all of this extra time and nothing to do."

"What about the café?" Lucas asked.

"I already asked. Your mom doesn't need me anymore than my Sunday mornings," she said with a shrug. "I get an occasional call to go in, but it's not enough to keep me busy."

"There _is_ another option," Brooke said in a sing-song voice.

"Brooke, I am _not_—"

"Listen, before you finish that thought, Rachel is joining the squad. It would be a lot of fun for you, Haley. Plus, I lost four girls last year and I am dreading try outs. You're already grandfathered, so you're automatically on the squad if you want in."

"Brooke—"

"Don't answer me right now," Brooke said quickly. "Just…promise me you'll think about it."

"Fine," Haley said begrudgingly.

"I thought you loved try outs," Peyton said.

"Sweat and desperation? Please!" Brooke said as if the whole ordeal was beneath her.

Peyton laughed. "There was a time when you loved that smell. Craved it even," she teased.

"Yes, but that was before I became a very mature woman with a daughter and a husband," she said with mock seriousness.

"What were you painting today, Lucas?" Haley asked, turning her gaze to her friends' husband.

"The spare room. Brooke wants an exercise room, and apparently, red is the most motivating color," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Haley laughed. "Red? Nice and dramatic." She grinned widely. "Just like you, Brooke."

Brooke reached out and slapped Haley lightly on the back of the head.

"Hey!" Haley said.

"Oh, you were begging for that," Brooke joked.

"OK, I was," Haley agreed. "So, let's make plans for next Saturday night _now_ so that I don't have to end up eating pizza and watching movies again," she said in distaste.

"Speaking of drama…" Peyton joked.

777

"You wanted to see me, Coach?" Jake said with a knock on Coach Kimball's door.

"Come on in, Jagielski," the man said standing up and motioning to the chair across from him.

Jake moved his way slowly into the room on his crutches and sat down in the vacant chair. "What's up?" he asked.

The coach studied Jake's face for a minute. "First of all, congratulations on the wife and new kid," he said.

"Thanks," Jake said with a grin.

The coach nodded. "Now that I've got that out of the way…are you really ready to give up basketball, Jagielski?"

Jake shrugged. "Well, I wasn't really given a choice," he said honestly. "The doctor said I probably wouldn't be able to play this season."

"_Probably _being the key word," he said. "Do you _want_ to play basketball this season?"

Jake laughed. "Of course I _want_ to play basketball this season," he said earnestly. "But it's not about what I want."

"I've seen players before who've been in worse shape, Jake. I've seen knee injuries where doctors have told some of my boys they'd never play again. Sometimes the docs are wrong, you know. Sometimes it's a matter of will. But if you don't want to play—"

"I _do_ want to play," Jake said, sitting up straight in his chair and rubbing his palms on his knees.

"Then I _want_ you to play, Jake," Coach Kimball said. "I want you working out with us, I want you here for practices—"

"What am I gonna do at practices?" Jake asked.

Coach grinned at him. "It's been a long time since I've actually played on the court," he admitted. "It might be nice to get a fresh perspective."

"You want me to help coach?"

The man laughed. "Don't be making yourself my assistant just yet," he said. "I'm going to take what you say into consideration," he explained. "But it doesn't mean I'll be using all of your suggestions and ideas."

"Thanks, Coach," Jake said.

"I wasn't ready to let you go, Jagielski," the man admitted.

Jake nodded and stood up.

"So I'll see you at the banquet next weekend?" Coach Kimball asked.

"Sure thing, Coach," Jake said, standing up and grabbing his crutches. He left the room with a grin.

777

"I can't _believe _I let you talk me into this," Haley said a week later as she and Brooke were making their way into the banquet hall. "Why do we have to do this? We didn't do this last year," she complained.

"Yes, we did. You just weren't part of the squad yet."

"I didn't even know they held pep rallies in college," she said.

"It's not a pep rally, Haley," Brooke said in amusement. "It's just a little social gathering that's held for the old team members to get acquainted with the new ones."

"My God, Brooke!" Haley exclaimed, looking down at her chest. "You can practically see my boobs!" For the millionth time, she tried to tug the dress up higher.

"And they are _very _nice," Brooke commented, slapping Haley's hands away.

"Oww, Brooke!"

"You look great," Brooke said, stopping to readjust the top of Haley's dress.

"Well I feel like a floozy," Haley said.

"Hey! That came from _my_ closet."

Haley stared at Brooke. "Let's be honest," she said.

"Yeah, OK," Brooke said. She knew her taste in clothes was way more risqué than her friends. "But you _do _look great, Haley," she told her sincerely.

Haley sighed. "I don't look…" she looked around to make sure no one was in hearing distance and then whispered, "easy?"

Brooke laughed. "No, Haley, you don't look easy. In fact, you _radiate_ virginity," she said in a teasing voice.

"Gee, thanks," Haley said wryly. "That makes me feel _so_ much better."

Brooke laughed again. "Glad I could be of help," she said.

They walked through the front doors of the hotel and followed the signs to the banquet room where the dinner was being held and walked in. The minute they did, Lucas immediately spun around and his eyes fell upon Brooke. He abandoned the people he'd been talking to and made his way to Haley and Brooke. Haley saw his eyes darken with desire and rolled her own.

"Oh, brother," she muttered.

Brooke sighed. "Isn't my hubby hot?" she asked.

"He _is_ handsome," Haley agreed, taking him in. He was wearing a pair of gray dress slacks and a light pink dress shirt with a tie striped in gray and the same color as his shirt. Of course, _this_ Scott brother wasn't her first choice.

"You're the only guy I know who can pull off pink," Haley said.

"See?" Lucas said irritably to his wife.

Brooke gave Haley a glare. "It's not pink, Haley," she explained. "It's _salmon_."

"Well, it looks pink to me," Haley said, then frowned. "I feel like I've had this conversation before. Is that _Nathan's_ shirt?" she asked.

"No, it's _my _pink shirt," he snapped.

"Yes, well, it's certainly not a mood boosting shirt now, is it?" she teased flippantly. "I'm going to go see if I can find Rachel," she said as she walked away.

Lucas wrapped his arms around Brooke and pulled her close. "You look so hot," he whispered in her ear, putting his hands around her waist and pulling her lower body closer to his. Then, "did you bring your purse?"

She nodded.

"With the emergency credit card?"

"Yes. Why?" she asked, confused by his sudden change of subject.

"Maybe we could—"

"Get a room!" Peyton said as she and Jake came through the open doors.

Brooke pulled away from her husband and he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "My thoughts exactly," he said huskily.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "God, I was kidding. You two _really_ are newlyweds, aren't you?"

"Oh, and you're not?" Brooke shot back. "I bet you two already have a room reserved for later," she said knowingly.

Peyton's cheeks darkened and she cleared her throat. "Oh, look, Honey!" she said. "There are Mouth and Rachel!"

"That's what I thought!" Brooke said as the two walked away.

777

The girls had returned from the buffet with their plates, and the guys made their way up. It was a set up so you could serve yourself with people walking along both sides of the tables.

"Hey, isn't that Maddie's mother?" Nathan heard someone ask. He looked up and across from him was Isaac, one of the other guys on the team.

"Yes," Nathans said, following his gaze.

"No," Lucas said at the same time.

"Well, which is it?"

"Haley is Nathan's ex. But not Maddie's mother." Lucas explained. "But they're still great _friends_, right, Nate?" he asked, elbowing his brother in the ribs.

"Yep," Nathan grunted through clenched teeth.

"So, she's not off the market," Isaac concluded.

Jake grinned at him. "Nope," he said confidently.

Isaac grinned and made a beeline for Haley.

"What the hell was that about?" Nathan growled.

"What?" Luke and Jake asked innocently.

"Haley and _Isaac_?" he spat.

"Hey, at least he's a nice guy. You don't want Haley to end up with a jerk, do you?" Jake asked.

Nathan didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His ticking jaw made his thoughts on this particular subject very clear.

"Or _maybe_ you don't want Haley to end up with anyone but you," Lucas concluded.

"We're just friends," Nathan said for the millionth time.

"Well, then you should be happy for your friend," Jake said, slapping Nathan on the back. "Because Luke and I just set her up with a _great_ guy."

Nathan swore he could hear Lucas and Jake snickering as they walked away.

"Operation Naley is _under_ way," Lucas said.

"Operation _what_?" Jake asked.

Lucas shrugged. "Well, Brooke said that you and Peyton were operation Jeyton, so I just figured…"

Jake wrinkled his nose in disgust and looked Lucas up and down. "Dude, you really shouldn't wear a pink dress shirt and then talk girl talk," he said.

"Hey, it's a good idea!" Lucas argued, holding a hand up in the air.

"I am _not_ going to give you a high five while you're wearing pink," Jake said, hobbling back to the table.

"Salmon!" Lucas called after him.

_As always, thanks for reading and please don't forget to drop me a review!_


	75. Chapter 75

_Author's Note: So, this chapter is quite long and action packed, but it was hard to find a good stopping point. Thanks for reading and please don't forget to drop me a review telling me what you thought! Ejnoy! --Angie_

"So, how did it go with Isaac last night?" Brooke asked a few weeks later as she and Haley made their way into the gymnasium. It was their first home game, and the girls needed to get the squad ready to take the floor.

Haley nodded. "It went pretty good."

"Pretty good? Haley—maybe I wasn't clear. _I_ am looking for details," Brooke said.

Haley laughed. "OK," she said. "He took me to this little French Restaurant and ordered for the both of us," she said approvingly. "He ordered a _very_ expensive bottle of wine—in French, of course, because he's _so_ very fluent—"

Brooke laughed. "So the date was a success?" she concluded.

"Yes, it was definitely a success," Haley said. And it really was. Isaac had been a perfect gentleman, ending the evening with a very chaste, very un-passionate kiss on the lips. It hadn't turned Haley's insides to mush like Nathans kisses, but Haley reminded herself that she and Nathan were just friends, and while they may have had passion, the two of them had trouble staying together. So maybe passion wasn't what she needed. Haley was going for practical this time around. Isaac was very polite, very intelligent, and very good-looking. All in all, he was perfect on paper. And she was sure that if she spent enough time with him, she could _learn_ to be attracted to him.

"Did he kiss you good-night?" Brooke asked excitedly.

"Yes, he did," Haley admitted.

"And?"

"And…it was nice," Haley said.

"Nice?" Brooke said in disappointment. "Oy vey."

"What's wrong with nice?" Haley asked, pushing through the double doors and walking into the gymnasium. They continued through the empty gym and through the doors on the other side of the room, heading for the girls' locker room.

"When you're out on a date, the _last_ thing you want—is nice," Brooke explained.

"Well, you know what?" Haley asked. "I think nice…is nice."

"Wow, aren't you wordy," Brooke said sarcastically.

Haley playfully shoved her friend with her shoulder.

"Passion isn't something I really need in my life right now," Haley said in her best sensible tone. "I have classes to think about—"

"Which you've already admitted are a heck of a lot easier than you thought they were going to be," Brooke reminded her.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I want to spend any less time studying. And besides—you have Luke, Peyton has Jake, and Rachel has Mouth. I can't be a third wheel forever."

"Yes, you can," Brooke said with a pout. "I don't like it when you have to pencil me in. I like it when you're available at my beckoning call. Please don't get a boyfriend," she said pitifully.

Haley laughed. "You weren't that concerned when I was dating Nathan."

"That's because _Nathan_ is Lucas' brother. _He_ understood when I needed you. Isaac would _never_ understand that. In fact, he'll probably give you an ultimatum!" Brooke said worriedly. "He's not going to let you hang out with us if he knows Nathan will be there! He knows you two have a history."

Haley laughed at her friends' melodrama. "You are so good at blowing things out of proportion," she said.

"Thank you," Brooke said with a grin.

Haley rolled her eyes.

"Promise me one thing, Haley," Brooke said as they came to stand outside of the locker room doors.

"What?" Haley asked.

"Don't let anyone take you away from us," Brooke said solemnly.

"I promise," Haley said.

777

"_Why_ are you glaring at Isaac?" Lucas asked lowly, standing beside his brother.

"I didn't realize I was," Nathan said.

"Well, you are!" Lucas hissed. "Stop it!"

Nathan gave his brother a dirty look.

"We're part of a team, Nate," Lucas reminded him.

"Yeah? Well what if one of your team mates was bangin' your wife?" Nathan asked.

Lucas had to hold back a look of surprise. His brother wasn't typically so crude. Apparently he was having a bit of a temper flare.

"I'd have to kill him," Luke admitted.

"Yeah," Nathan bit out. "That's what I thought."

"Look—it was _one_ date, Nate."

Nathan spun around at that. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, no," Lucas said with a sigh. "I take it you didn't know."

"No idea," Nate said angrily.

"What's goin' on?" Jake asked, hobbling up to the Scott brothers.

"Nathan just found out that Haley went out with Isaac last night," Lucas said.

"Last night?" Nathan asked.

"And how did he find that out, Lucas," Jake asked sarcastically.

"I let it slip," Luke admitted.

"The girls told us not to say anything," Jake reminded him.

"You knew, too?" Nathan asked in disbelief, giving Jake an accusing stare. "Unbelievable. I can't believe you guys are keeping things from me!"

"Look you're not m wife!" Lucas said. "I can keep things from you if I want to."

"Not the time or place, guys. We're about to start our first home game. Let's get it together," he said sternly. "Nate, shake it off."

Nathan gave Jake an angry glare.

"Ya gotta get over it," Jake said in a lighter tone. "It sucks. There's no other way to put it. But _don't_ take it out on your teammates. Take it out on our opponents. Bring it out onto the court with you and let it get you going there."

Nathan didn't say anything, just nodded while his nostrils flared.

He stalked off, leaving Jake and Lucas standing there.

"He really shouldn't bring something like that onto the court with him," Lucas told Jake.

Jake nodded. "I know. But I didn't know what else to say." He sighed. "Man, operation Naley really sucks!"

Lucas grinned and slapped Jake on the back. "Now you're coming around, buddy!"

777

It was clear to everyone, including Haley—who considered herself to be basketball illiterate—that Nathan's game was sour from the second they tipped-off. For one thing, he was being a complete ball hog, which was unlike him. One of Nathan's strengths, besides finding the basket, was finding the open man. But you wouldn't know it from watching him tonight. He'd pass to Lucas, and occasionally to another one of the guys on the team, but whenever Isaac was the only guy open and Nathan had the ball, he'd either take the shot or turn the ball over. It was frustrating even to watch, and Haley knew she wasn't the coach, but she couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't been taken out of the game yet.

Rachel took a step forward as she shook her pom-poms. "Does he always play like this?" she asked.

Brooke shook her head. "Nope," she said strongly.

"What's wrong with him?"

Brooke tilted her head to Haley. "Her."

Haley rolled her eyes and started another cheer, the rest of the squad joining in. It didn't work. There was a turnover, and the other team made it to the basket before any of the Bulldogs could stop them. They never recovered and by the time the buzzer rang for half-time, the home team was down by 18 points. The guys had to pass the cheerleaders to make it to the door that led to their locker room, and Haley looked up as she felt Isaac's gaze on her. He gave her a wink and a smile, and she bit her lower lip, smiling back at him. As he walked through the door, another expression caught Haley's gaze. Nathans. Her smile faded and she felt her cheeks pinken. She decided that she wouldn't analyze this feeling of guilt that suddenly consumed her.

777

The baskets switched at half-time, so the home team's basket was now directly in front of the cheerleading squad. Haley watched as the gap between the teams grew. The opposing team was now up by 25 points with only a few minutes left, and it was clear that the bulldogs were about the experience their first loss of the season. As the ball was knocked out of bounds, Haley had to jump to the side so it missed her. Isaac walked out of bounds as the ref passed him the ball, and he was standing beside Haley. He looked over at her and flashed a quick grin, then returned his eyes to the floor, looking for an open man when Nathan suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Hey!" he said to Haley.

Haley's surprised gaze flew to his face and her pom-poms froze at his expression.

"I can still feel me inside you," he snapped.

He watched as Haley's jaw dropped, and a self satisfied smirk replaced the scowl on his face.

He turned to walk away, but didn't make it that far before he felt something hit his back. He went sprawling face first on the floor and it wasn't long before Isaac flipped him over on his back, his fist coming at Nathan's face. Nathan moved his head to the side and Isaac's hand connected with the gym floor. Everything spiraled out of control from there.

777

"I'm sorry, what did he just say?" Brooke asked.

"Nothing," Haley said quickly. "He didn't say anything."

"Oh, he said _some_thing," Brooke argued.

"Brooke, can we please not do this here?" Haley begged.

"Sure," Brooke said.

Haley smiled and turned back to the court, then felt a hand encircle her forearm. She looked up and met her friends' fiery eyes.

"Brooke, what are you…"

"Ya said not here, Haley. Ya didn't say not now."

"But, it was implied,' Haley said desperately. She really couldn't do this right now.

"Yeah, well I'm not too good at reading between the lines," Brooke said. "So I didn't get that part," she said, dragging her friend out of the gym. They walked into the locker room, and Brooke marched Haley over to one of the benches and pointed to it.

Haley sat down wearily.

Brooke crossed her arms. "Explain," she said simply. Her voice was very quiet, very calm. But Haley knew what was going on. Her friend's blood was boiling beneath the surface.

She sighed and put her elbows on her knees, propped her chin in her hands. "I slept with Nathan the night you got married."

"What?" Brooke shrieked.

Haley wouldn't look her friend in the eye.

Brooke sighed. "Only the one time?" she asked.

Haley nodded. "Well, only the one night," she amended. Brooke didn't need to know how many times.

"So, how was it?" Brooke asked.

"It was…" Haley trailed off.

"If you say nice, I swear to God, I _will_ kill you."

Haley's eyes flew to her friends' face. "It was amazing, OK?" she admitted. "It was freakin' amazing! I had sex with Nathan, and it was mind-blowing!"

"You had sex with Nathan?" Rachel asked from the doorway. Clearly she'd vacated her spot in the bleachers in favor of a front row seat to Haley's interrogation.

Haley groaned. "Oh, this is just great. Who's next? Peyton?"

The door opened on cue.

"Is everything OK?" Peyton asked, poking her head in.

"Guess what?" Brooke demanded.

Peyton shrugged and gave Brooke a confused look.

"There's not a _virgin_ in the room," she announced.

Peyton laughed. "There's not…" As if realizing what Brooke just said, her eyes flew to Haley. "You slept with Isaac?"

"Oh, no! Not Isaac," Brooke said, tapping her foot. "My brother in law. That's right. Haley hopped into bed with Nathan the night of my wedding. And she's just telling me about it now!"

"Well, in her defense, she was probably a little overtired from being up all night making your _wedding_ cake," Rachel said. "Her judgment was probably a little impaired. I know mine was."

Peyton shook her head. "I can't believe you slept with Nathan."

"Can we please stop talking about this?" Haley finally snapped.

"Sure," Brooke said. "When hell freezes over! This is going to be the topic of conversation for months to come! And by the way—did you?"

"Did I what?"

"You know," Brooke said, lifting her eyebrows in expectation.

"Did I…oh, God! Brooke! That is _none_ of your business!" Haley said.

Peyton shook her head.

"What?" Haley asked.

"Of course she did. She _said_ it was mind-blowing" Peyton said, then followed it with, "do you know what this means?"

"What _what _means?" Haley asked.

"You slept with Nathan," Peyton said.

"We've already covered that," Rachel said.

"Yes, but do you even _know_ Nathan?" Peyton asked.

Rachel shrugged. "A little."

"Well, let me enlighten you," Peyton said. "Nathan Scott has a hero complex. And you just…handed your virginity right over to him. Do you _really_ think he's going to let you go now?"

"Women lose their virginity all the time," Haley said.

Peyton shook her head and laughed, causing Haley's temper to flare. "Not to Nathan Scott. God, you might as well give up now. He's never gonna let you go."

777

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lucas asked after they'd been reamed out by the coach. He was rubbing his temples with his thumb and middle finger on his right hand.

"Nothing is wrong with me," Nathan said huffily.

"Well, what do you call that pathetic display tonight?" he asked in an accusing tone. "Coach is going to suspend you for this!"

"No, he's not," Nathan disagreed.

Lucas sighed in frustration. "Do you not remember what he did to Jake last year? Remember when he lost his game and got benched?"

"I haven't lost my game!" Nathan said.

"Well you _sure_ as hell lost your temper!" Lucas shot back angrily.

Nathan didn't say anything, just sat there while the trainer examined his ankle.

"You don't have_ any_thing to say?" Lucas asked.

Still, Nathan sat there stubbornly.

"Then you deserve whatever you get!" Lucas snapped, leaving the room. He let the door slam behind him.

The trainer looked at Nathan. "Your ankle is fine," he said. "Just a little swollen. It probably wouldn't hurt to stay off it for a few days. And keep some ice on it," he instructed.

Nathan nodded. "Thanks," he said, hopping down off the table. He collected his things and made his way out of the gym. Besides the custodian sweeping the floor, he and the trainer had been the last two in the building. He walked out of the gym and through the doors leading outside, and that's 

when he saw her sitting on the steps. She stood up and started walking to her car, leaving him no choice but to follow.

"_This_ is what being 'friends' is to you?" Haley exploded before he could say anything.

"I was jealous!" he said, going for complete honesty.

She swung around so quickly, Nathan bumped into her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, I got that," Haley said. "Loud and clear. But what I don't understand is--why would my friend be jealous of another guy?"

Nathan sighed. "Because the jerk is in love with you."

"Isaac is _not_ in love with me," she disagreed.

Nathan sighed. "Not Isaac," he said softly. "Your friend."

"Well my friend likes to play the hot and cold game," Haley spat. "Give him another two weeks. He'll want to send me packing on tour with Chris Keller."

"I _knew_ you weren't over that!" Nathan said.

"Of course I'm not over that!" Haley said impatiently. "God, Nathan. What the hell is wrong with you? One minute, you're making my heart melt, the next minute I'm pissed off at you, and then I'm all quivery inside—" she stopped short at his expression, interrupting herself. "What the hell are you smirking at?" she asked.

"I make you quivery," he said.

"Well it wasn't a compliment!" she said.

"Well, it sounded like one," he teased.

"Well it wasn't one! So wipe that damn smirk off your face!"

"Well, it _sounded_ like one," he mumbled.

Haley sighed. "I don't think we should be friends, Nathan," she said so softly he almost didn't hear her.

"That's ridiculous, Haley. I just got a little…unfocused, that's all," he said. "We_ can_ be friends."

She shook her head. "No, we can't. You and I—_cannot _be friends," she insisted.

Nathan studied her face for a minute. "Then…what?" he asked cautiously.

"It's over," she whispered. "It's just…over."

"Oh, so…what? I don't get to see you at all anymore?" he said sarcastically.

"You'll see me at games. Probably around on campus. But that's it, Nathan. I'm not coming to your house for a midnight swim, I won't see you at Brooke and Lucas' for Saturday night dinner, I won't be watching Maddie for you anymore. I just…I can't keep _doing_ this to myself."

"You're not going to see Maddie, either?" he asked.

"I'll talk to Brooke and we'll set up a time once or twice a week for me to see her," Haley said. "If that's OK with you."

He nodded slowly. "Of course," he said.

"OK," Haley said quietly. "Well, then. That's that."

Without another word, Nathan spun on his heel and stalked to his car. Haley leaned against her own and rubbed her forehead. It was really over. Funny—she didn't feel the relief she'd thought she was going to.


	76. Chapter 76

"Operation _what_?" Brooke hissed as she and Lucas made their way up the stairs and into their apartment.

"Operation _Naley_," he whispered back. They'd just gotten home from the game, and Laney was fast asleep in his arms as they made their way through the front door. "I'll be right back," he told his wife. "I'm going to get Laney into her jammies."

Brooke nodded and took her jacket off as her husband disappeared down the hallway. She went into their room and changed into her own nightwear—one of his T-shirts—and then walked back into the hallway. Lucas was walking out of Laney's room as she was walking by. He grinned at her and she grinned back, way too sweetly. That's when she reached up and smacked him on the side of the head. "Don't you _ever_ do any…?" Brooke paused, searching for the right word. She finally found it. "_Operating_ without me!" she scolded.

"Owww!" he said angrily, rubbing his head where she'd hit him. "You know, I think I could have you brought up on domestic abuse charges," he told her.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Not when I told them how stupid you are!"

"What was so stupid?" he asked, heading for the kitchen. He grabbed a bag of popcorn off the counter and placed it in the microwave, hitting the appropriate buttons to get it popping.

"OK," Brooke said from beside him. "You tell me your plan, and I'll tell you all of its flaws." She walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.

He turned around and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "We were going to use Isaac to make Nathan jealous," Lucas said.

"And?" Brooke prompted.

"And…what?" Lucas asked.

Brookes' eyes widened in disbelief. "What was the rest of your plan?" she asked shrilly.

"That was…it," he muttered, then frowned. He had to admit, when he said it out loud, it _did_ sound pretty lame.

Brooke laughed hysterically. "_That_ was the master plan? Well, it's hard to see how it didn't work," she said sarcastically.

"Hey! We don't know yet that it didn't work," he said defending himself.

"Well, _I_ know that it didn't work," she told him. "What kind of idiot are you, anyway?"

"Domestic abuse _and_ emotional battery?" Lucas asked dryly, pulling his popcorn out of the microwave. He opened it, walked over to the table, and sat down across from Brooke.

"Jake couldn't have been in on this," Brooke said with certainty. "_He's_ not that stupid."

"I'm starting to get a little offended here," Lucas said seriously.

"Well, I'm sorry, Honey," she said. "But you have to admit, this wasn't one of your finer ideas."

"Just so you know, tacking a 'Honey' onto the end of a sentence—doesn't soften the blow!" he informed her.

She sighed and studied her husbands face. "What did you _think_ was going to happen?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," Lucas admitted. "It's just…hard to be so happy when I know Nathan _isn't._"

Brooke nodded. "I know what you mean. But…we have to let it go, Luke. Every time Haley and Nathan make any progress, they take like…a hundred steps back."

"Why is that?" Lucas asked.

Brooke shook her head. "I don't know. I think…_she's_…still scared of anything resembling commitment because she's afraid she isn't enough, and _he's _so desperate to commit because he thinks she's going to run."

"Not the best combination," Lucas declared, amazed at his wife's insight.

"Yeah," Brooke said softly.

"So we don't do _any_thing?" he asked. "That's not like you."

"Sometimes you have to know when to walk away."

"And you think Haley and Nathan should walk away from each other?" he asked.

"I don't know what I think of Haley and Nathan anymore," she said.

"Well, she gave it up for him," Lucas said. "That has to mean something."

Brooke froze as she reached for a handful of Lucas' popcorn. "What did you just say?" she asked.

Lucas' eyes widened and his jaw dropped as if to defend himself, but he knew it wasn't a good idea, so he snapped his mouth closed again.

Brooke shot up from her seat and slammed her palms down on the table. "You _knew_?" she accused.

Lucas didn't say anything, just sat there. He had never been afraid of a woman before, but he had to admit, had he been wearing boots, he would have been shaking in them. His wife's eyes were full of fury.

"Oh, I'm so mad at you right now!" she said.

"Brooke," he said in what he hoped was a calming tone.

"Don't you dare 'Brooke' me," she warned.

Lucas smirked at her. "Rumor has it you can 'Brooke' _yourself_…just fine."

"Don't try to be cute!" she said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…Nathan asked me not to," he said.

"That doesn't matter! I'm your wife, Lucas! I get to know _everything_!"

"Really?" Lucas asked, sitting back in his chair so it was on only its hind legs. "_Everything_?"

She nodded solemnly. "Everything!" she confirmed.

"Good. Good to know," Lucas said. "Now…let's discuss what happened up in the mountains your freshmen year at UCLA with Peyton and Rachel," he said.

Brooke's eyes widened as she backed away from the table.

"Spill it, Babe," he instructed.

She gave a fake yawn. "Suddenly I'm exhausted," she said, bolting for the hallway. She heard a crash as Lucas jumped up from his chair and came after her.

Two seconds later, he had her wrist in a vice like grip. "What's the matter? That doesn't go both ways?" he asked, amused.

She thought for a minute, and then decided there was only one course of action to take. She spun around and went for distraction. "Have I told you how hot I am right now?" she said huskily, batting her eyelashes at her husband, pressing her body against his.

"Not gonna work, Brooke," he told her, letting go of her wrist and taking a step back.

She lifted an eyebrow and without taking her eyes from his face, reached her hand into the waistband of his sweatpants and took him in her hand, gently stroking. She grinned when she heard him hiss.

"Or maybe it is," he said, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, earning a squeal from her.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathily.

He smacked her on the bottom. "Giving in to your diversion tactics," he told her dryly, heading for their bedroom.

"Oh," she said in a small voice then grunted when he threw her down on the mattress. He placed a knee on the bed and started to crawl towards her. "Wait, Luke! Don't—"

But it was too late. She winced.

"If you keep ripping my panties off, I'm not gonna have any left," she complained.

Lucas smirked at his wife. "Fine with me," he said. "Damn things are always in the way anyway!"

777

"Hey," Brooke said the next night when Haley came over to wait on them at the café. "What are you doing here?"

"One of the other girls had too much on her plate with school, so I'm closing the café a couple of nights a week now," she explained.

"Well, you be careful!" Brooke scolded. "I saw on the news that there was someone mugged in your part of town the other night!"

"Really?" Haley asked dryly.

Brooke nodded solemnly.

Haley laughed at her friends' melodrama. "I'll be fine, Brooke," she promised.

Brooke nodded doubtfully. "Peyton and Jake are going to be here in a little bit," she said. "So we'll just start with drinks." She looked at Laney.

"I'll have chocolate milk, please, Haley," she said politely.

Haley grinned and nodded at the little girl.

"I'll just have water and…Lucas will probably want a coffee," she said, looking around for her husband. He was standing at the bar talking to his mother.

"Can I go see Grammie?" Laney asked.

Brooke nodded and the little girl jumped down and ran over to the bar.

Haley sat down across from Brooke. "Didn't want to cook tonight?" she asked.

Brooke laughed. "I don't want to cook _any _night," she said, then sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about the whole…interrogation thing last night. It really was none of my business," she said.

"It's OK," Haley assured her friend.

"No, it's not," Brooke argued. "I have a tendency to butt in on…well, _everything_, really," she said. "And…I'm sorry for that."

"Brooke, I'm _glad _that you butt in on everything. Unfortunately, I'm not a bean spiller, so if it doesn't get found out _somehow_, then I won't be the one to tell. And most of the time, I _need_ to talk about things. I just don't _know_ it."

Brooke nodded, then said, "And…I just want you to know…I can finally see what you see," she said.

Haley tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

Her friend took a deep breath. "I think you're right, Haley. You and Nathan _don't_ belong with each other."

Haley flinched at Brooke's words and tried to quickly recover as her friend studied her face. "Ri—right," she stammered. "Exactly. We're just…we're too…different," Haley said, grappling for the right words. She stood up. "I'll go get your drinks," she said abruptly, practically sprinting away from the table.

777

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Nathan asked, setting his fork down beside his plate and lifting his wine glass to his lips to take a sip.

"Are you all done eating, Mads?" Deb asked her granddaughter.

Maddie wiped her milk mustache on her sleeve and nodded.

Deb smiled tenderly at her--almost longingly, Nathan thought. "Why don't you go play?" she suggested.

Maddie looked at her father for confirmation and he nodded, so she hopped down off her chair and ran from the dining room.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked, worried now.

"Your mother and I have some news," his father said quietly.

"What is it?" Nathan asked, anxious to hear what they had to say. If they'd made Maddie leave the room, it must be pretty serious.

"Your father was given a wonderful opportunity to purchase a new car dealership in Charleston," Deb announced.

"South Carolina?" Nathan asked.

Dan nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Well, that's great, Dad. Why do you seem so…distressed about telling me?" Nathan asked, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table.

"We're going to have to move," he said.

"Oh," Nathan said in shock. He looked at his mother. "Are…are you going, too?" he asked.

Deb nodded with a small smile.

"Well, that's great," Nathan said flatly.

Dan gave him a stern look.

"It _is_," Nathan said more firmly this time. "I just…I'm really going to miss you both," he said, surprised at how much he meant it. A lot had certainly changed over the last five years. "And…so is Maddie."

Deb's eyes welled up with tears. "We're going to miss you both, too. _So_ much," she said feelingly.

Nathan nodded, letting it all sink in. If this was a good opportunity, and one they _wanted_, then he was glad for them. But he also knew what it meant for him and Maddie. A lot more time in daycare, and he was instantly conflicted about that. Maddie spending time with his mother was one thing, but all that time in daycare—that was another thing entirely. She'd been in daycare last semester, but that was only two hours a day twice a week. He'd feel like he was deserting her if he left her there during classes _and _practices. He was sure Lucas would help out, be he wouldn't be a burden to his brother—and he wouldn't let his daughter be, either. He forced a grin on his face as his parents looked at him expectantly. "This is…great," he said. "When do you leave?"

"In a few weeks," Dan told him.

Nathan nodded then stood up. "We should probably go tell Maddie."

777

Haley slammed the door shut behind her, leaned against it, and dropped her keys on the stand beside the door. She took a minute to catch her breath after sprinting from her car to the building. "Stupid Brooke," she muttered. She wasn't even sure if she believed her friend or not, but either way--she figured she couldn't be too careful. Straightening, she noticed the blinking light on her answering machine. She pressed play, and then sunk down onto her couch. She kicked off her shoes as her messages started.

"Hey, Haley," the first voice said. "It's Tay. Call me. I haven't heard from you in _weeks_. And by the way—I'm as big as a _mansion_ now, not just a house! Love you, little sis!"

"Hi, Haley," the next voice said. "It's Isaac. I've been trying to call you since last night, but I haven't heard from you. I guess I should probably explain about what happened at the game. So…call me."

Haley deleted the messages then dialed Isaac's number. She'd been avoiding his calls since last night. It probably _was_ time to call him back. It never rang, went straight to voicemail. And she felt like a coward, but Haley was glad she didn't have to talk to him. "Hey, Isaac. It's Haley. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to call you back before now. I've been busy. No explanation necessary for last night. That's…between you and Nathan. And…I just want to thank you for our date the other night. I had a good time. But I just…I'm gonna stop things right here and just be honest with you. I'm not in a place where I can be serious with anyone right now. I'm sorry for wasting your time." With that, she hung up and let out a sigh of relief.

A few minutes later, she picked up her phone again and this time dialed her sisters number.

"I've been waiting for you to call," Taylor said when she answered her phone.

Haley laughed at her sisters greeting, then took a deep breath. "I'm in need of some serious girl talk," she said pitifully.

"Uh-oh. I know that tone. Fire away," Taylor ordered.


	77. Chapter 77

"So, what do you think?" Lucas asked quietly as he sat down on the couch next to Nate a week later.

"About what?" Nathan asked, turning off the television with the remote.

"I just met with Dad and Deb. They told me they're moving," Lucas said.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah. Well, for them, I think it's a great move. Dad's really done well here in Tree Hill. And you know the old man. He's never been able to walk away from a challenge." Nathan shrugged. "This dealership is in trouble, and Dad's specialty is turning things around. I think it's a great move for them."

Lucas looked at his brother for a minute, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, Lucas urged him on. "And for you and Maddie?" he asked.

Nathan sighed. "It really sucks for Maddie and me," he said honestly.

Lucas nodded a frown on his face.

"Listen—I've thought about it and…I think I'm gonna quit the team," Nathan said quietly.

"What?" Lucas asked in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

Nathan leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and taking a deep breath. "I just—" he shrugged. "I can't leave Maddie in daycare all day long and then at night while I'm at practice, too. And what about away games, Lucas? Sometimes we leave first thing in the morning and don't even get home until the next day. I won't do it to her. It's not fair."

"And it's fair for you to have to stop playing basketball?" Lucas shot back.

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Basketball can live without me. Maddie can't."

"_Brooke_ can help you with Maddie while we're at games. And you know Peyton would, too. And my mom. And Haley."

"No," Nathan said quickly.

"No to who? To Haley?" Lucas asked.

"To _all_ of them, Luke. Maddie is _mine_. She's my responsibility. I won't pass her off to someone else all the time. With mom and dad helping…it was different. They were there from day one. And it was…familiar to her. I won't force her to adjust to someone else."

"She's going to have to adjust anyway when they move away," Lucas said.

"I know that," Nathan said. "I've thought about that. And that's going to be adjustment enough for her. I'm not going to make her go through another one."

"Why won't you let us help you?" Luke asked.

"Because, Lucas. You have your own life. You have a wife and your _own_ daughter to worry about," Nathan pointed out. "I can't…expect you to be there every time I need something."

"Yes, you can!" Lucas said. "We're brothers, Nathan. It's what we do!"

Nathan shook his head. "I _won't_ take advantage of you. Brother or not."

Lucas sighed. Sometimes Nathan could be so damn pigheaded. It was that Scott blood. "Well, what _about_ Haley? If she'd help you with Maddie, would you let her?"

Nathan scoffed. "Haley is so stubborn that some days—I think she'd become mute just so she'd never have to talk to me again," he said dryly.

Lucas sighed and sat down on the couch beside his brother. "This isn't a good idea, Nate," he said.

"What do you want me to do?" Nathan asked.

"You love basketball," Lucas said.

"I love my daughter more," Nathan firmly.

"I know you do."

"Then why do you sound so unconvinced?" Nathan asked.

"I just…I don't want you to grow to resent her because you had to give up basketball."

"That's not going to happen, Luke," Nathan said vehemently. But he'd worried about the same thing. He was OK with this _now_, but what would happen later on down the line? He'd never been without basketball before. He and Maddie would both be making a lot of adjustments.

Lucas nodded. "I know it's not. I know you wouldn't let it."

"Lucas, if there were any other way…"

"I know," Lucas said. He looked around. "Where _is_ my niece?" he asked.

"Mom and Dad have been hogging her since they've told us they're moving. We've been spending most nights at the house with them so I can see her, too," Nathan laughed.

"Are you staying there tonight?" Lucas asked.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah. I have to throw some things together."

"Do you want to have supper with us tonight?" Lucas asked. "I threw a roast in the crock pot this morning."

"Sounds good," Nathan said. "Let me just get my stuff packed and I'll be right behind you."

777

"Brooke, you don't have to have me over _all_ the time," Haley said with a laugh.

"Of course I do!" Brooke said. "You live all by yourself now, Haley. It has to be an adjustment after living with Peyton and me, then Mouth and me, _then_ Rachel, Mouth, and me, and then your sister and her husband. I don't want you to get lonely," she said.

Haley laughed. "That's never going to happen," she said. And she meant it. She'd grown up with so many brothers and sisters that she'd never had a moment to herself while she'd lived at home. Now she loved being alone. She'd only moved in with Brooke and Peyton last semester because of her financial circumstances. And while she'd loved every second of it, she liked the solitude just as much.

"Well, I'm just going to make sure of it," she said. "Lucas put a roast in the crock pot this morning."

Haley nodded. "Mmmm," she said. "I can smell it."

Brooke grinned. "My job is to make the biscuits. Can you believe he's going to let me cook?"

Haley's eyes widened. "So that's why you invited me over," she teased.

Brooke giggled. "I'm sure I can make biscuits." She opened the refrigerator and looked around. "Damn!" she said slamming the door.

"What?" Haley asked.

"I forgot to stop and buy biscuits."

Haley started laughing. "You are something else, Brooke Davis."

"Scott," Brooke was quick to correct her friend.

"Oops," Haley said. "So sorry. _Scott_," she amended.

Brooke nodded. "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome," Haley said. "I'll make the biscuits. It's the least I can do. You guys keep feeding me!"

"Fine with me," Brooke said, sitting down at the kitchen table. "So, have you talked to Nathan lately?"

Haley froze while lifting the flour down from the top shelf of the cupboard. She cleared her throat and turned around. "No," she said softly, shaking her head. She finished gathering the few ingredients together and quickly set to work on making the biscuits. When she was done, she put a small tab of butter on the top of each one and slid the pan into the preheated oven. She was washing her hands in the sink when she heard the kitchen door opened.

"Hello, Husband," she heard Brooke say from behind her.

"Wife," Lucas said, then," You didn't tell me we were going to have company for dinner tonight."

"I sort of invited her spontaneously," Brooke explained.

"Funny," Lucas said. "I _also_ handed out a spontaneous invitation to dinner."

Brooke's eyes widened. "Not…"

Haley turned around in time to see Lucas nod. "I'll call his cell," he said, quickly pulling it out of his pocket. "Tell him there was a change of plans."

"Luke, no," Haley said sternly. "Put your phone away. He's your brother and…this is ridiculous. The four of us can have a meal together."

"But you told him—"

"Maybe I was a little too hasty about that," Haley admitted uncomfortably.

Brooke and Lucas' eyes flew to each others in surprise.

"It's just one meal, right?" Haley said nonchalantly.

Brooke nodded. "Right. Just a meal."

777

"I heard there was another mugging in your neighborhood the other night," Brooke said, taking a bite of her roast.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Are you _trying_ to scare me?" she asked.

"No," Brooke said. "Laney, honey, your chocolate milk is leaking," she said, wiping her daughters chin.

"Thank you, mommy," Laney said, taking a bite of her potatoes.

Brooke nodded. "You're welcome." She turned back to Haley. "I'm not trying to scare you. I _just_ want you to be aware, that's all."

"Well, thank you for keeping me posted. But I'll be fine," Haley assured her friend.

"Have you considered moving?" Brooke pressed.

Haley laughed. "Brooke, I'm fine," she insisted.

"Aren't you the least bit scared?" Brooke asked. "_I_ would be."

Haley shrugged. "I guess I am a _little_ scared," she admitted.

"You shouldn't have to run into your apartment at night because you're scared," Nathan finally said, joining in the conversation.

Haley's head whipped around, her eyes flying to Nathan's. "How do _you_ know I run into my apartment at night?" she asked. And then, when he didn't answer, "Nathan?! _How_ do you know I run into my apartment at night?"

"Because I follow you home at night when you close the café," he snapped.

"What?" she asked. "And where's Maddie while you're doing this?" she asked.

"She's either at my parents or fast asleep in her car seat," he told her.

"You can't have her traipsing all over town with you while you keep an eye on me!"

"At least I know _she's _safe!" he shot back.

Brooke, Lucas, and even Laney froze, waiting for the argument they were sure was to come.

Haley sighed. "I appreciate your concern for me, Nathan," she said softly. "But having Maddie out so late isn't a good idea."

"No, it's not," Nathan agreed. "But it's either knowing you got home safe or spending all night worrying about you. What do _you_ think I should do?" he asked.

Haley swallowed past the lump in her throat. She'd told him to stay away from her, and instead, he was watching over her like a knight in shining armor. Did the guy _ever _give up? "Thanks for making sure I was OK," she said sincerely.

Nathan sat there for a moment, a stunned look on his face. And really, Haley couldn't blame him. She'd done a 180 since the last time she'd talked to—or rather yelled at him. "You're welcome," he finally said.

Haley nodded. "But for the record, I don't think it's a good idea to have Maddie out so late at night," she informed him.

Nathan grinned at her. Of course she had to get her two cents in. "Duly noted," he said softly

777

Haley sighed as she slammed her car door shut. She'd left Brooke and Lucas' when it was still fairly light outside, but she'd had to go to the campus library after supper to grab a few books for her research paper. She closed the zipper on her laptop carrier and absently headed for her apartment entrance. She'd finally had a nice, peaceful night with Nathan. She'd felt so guilty after the fight they'd had after the game last week. He'd looked almost heartbroken when she'd told him she didn't want to be friends with him anymore, but her stupid pride wouldn't let her take it back. And here he'd been making sure she was OK. Haley blew a few little wisps of hair out of her face as she remembered her conversation with her sister the other night.

_"Haley, you need to decide if he's worth it or not. And if he is, go after him! What's the worst that could happen?" Taylor had asked._

_"I could get my heart broken," Haley had replied softly._

_"No offense, Hay, but it's breaking right now."_

_Haley had nodded through the tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks, oblivious to the fact that Taylor couldn't see her._

_"Haley, sooner or later, you are going to __**have**__ to take a leap of faith. If not with Nathan, then with someone else. And honestly, if it's not now, it may be never. Because I'm telling you, Nathan Scott is a __**very**__ patient man. I can't believe he's waited this long."_

_"That's not a very nice thing to say," Haley had said on a sniffle._

_"I'm not here to be nice, Haley. I'm here to be honest."_

Haley had always appreciated her sisters' honesty, and this conversation was no exception. Taylor always had a way of making her see things through different eyes. Her sisters insight never stopped amazing her.

Haley was so lost in thought she never heard the footsteps behind her.

777

"Dad, if there was any other way; you know I'd go for it. But there isn't. And Maddie has to be my primary focus. I have to make the best decision for _both_ of us."

Dan Scott rubbed his face. "Maybe we shouldn't go," he said tiredly.

"No!" Nathan said firmly. "You're going! Dad, you've been excited about this since you told me about it. You're gonna do this."

Dan nodded and let out a long sigh. "I hate to have to see you give up basketball, son," he said honestly. "But I can't tell you how proud I am of you for putting your daughter first. I wish…" he took a deep breath. "I wish I'd been that kind of man when I was your age, Nathan."

Nathan nodded. "Thanks, Dad. I—" He was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. He looked at the caller ID and frowned, not recognizing the telephone number. He opened it anyway. "Hello?" he said.

"Hello. I'm looking for Nathan Scott."

"This is he," he said.

"Hello, Nathan. This is Alex Milano from the ER at Tree Hill Memorial Hospital. I have a Haley James here," she said. "She was assaulted earlier this evening and she was brought in by ambulance. You were—"

Nathan's heart was gripped with a fear he'd never felt before.

777

Less than ten minutes later, he ran through the emergency room doors and headed straight for the nurses' station. He pushed the man standing at the counter out of the way and demanded to know where Haley was. After getting directions, he found his way to her room and didn't bother to announce himself, just threw back the curtain. His breath stopped when he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed in a hospital gown. The bruise on her jaw and her tear-streaked face were more than he could take. "Haley." He tried to speak her name, but the fear in his throat made the single word come out as a whisper.

She started sobbing and he instantly closed the distance between them, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her. He lifted one hand to her head and started stroking her hair. The other one held her firmly in place. "Are you OK?" he asked in a panicked voice.

He felt her nod against his chest and he took a step back.

"Haley…" he said.

"I'm fine," she assured him in a shaky voice. "I'm just a little scared."

He was running his hands up and down every inch of her body, inspecting her for any damage.

"Are you _sure_?" he asked.

She bit her lower lip and nodded.

"They told me…" She saw a flash of pain flicker across his features as he swallowed past the lump of fear in his throat. "That you were assaulted," he finally finished. "I thought…"

Haley's eyes widened as she realized what he'd thought. "No!" she told him firmly. "God! No, Nathan!"

"Thank God," he said.

"Just…some bruises from being hit a few times. That's all."

"That's _all?_" Nathan said in disbelief. "That's _enough_!"

She nodded in agreement. "How…how did you even know I was here?" she asked.

"The hospital called me," he told her.

"But…why?" she asked.

"I thought you asked them to," he said.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't even…_oh_," she said as she realized what was going on. "You were my in case of emergency person," she said, remembering out loud.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"Last year. When I broke my elbow. You were my in case of emergency person."

"Well thank God you broke your elbow!" Nathan said in relief. Clearly _that _had been a blessing in disguise.

Haley suddenly burst into tears.

He immediately stepped closer once again and used his thumbs to wipe at the trail on her cheeks. "Oh, baby, what's wrong?" he asked.

"He took my laptop!" she wailed.

"What?" Nathan asked confused.

"My laptop. The one that you and Maddie gave me for Christmas. He _took_ it."

"Bastard," Nathan said in a mocking tone, trying to get a smile from her.

It worked. She hiccupped on a sob and her face broke into a small grin.

"We'll get you another laptop," he assured her.

She shook her head frantically. "But you don't understand. I want_ that_ one. It's the one you and Maddie picked out for me."

"We'll pick you out another one," he promised.

"But it won't be the same."

Nathan leaned down and kissed Haley softly on the lips, silencing her. "Everything is going to be OK," he told her softly.

"Promise?" she said brokenly.

"I promise," he whispered. "The nurse said I could take you home. Let's get you out of here."

"OK, but...they took my clothes for evidence," Haley said.

Nathan laughed. "OK," he said, looking around. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but whatever it was, he didn't find it. He took his sweatshirt off over his head and gave it to her. "Put this on," he said.

"I don't have any pants," she reminded him.

Nathan cocked an eyebrow at her. "Haley, my sweatshirt is going to hang down past your knees," he told her.

"Good point," she said.

Nathan turned around as Haley changed. "I'm ready," she said after a minute.

He turned back around and then headed for the tiny sink in the little space where Haley had been placed. He wet a paper towel and then gently wiped at her cheeks, trying to erase the streaks. His tenderness only made for more tears. Either he didn't notice them or he pretended not to. Whichever it was, Haley was thankful.

"OK," he said. "Do you need to talk to the police?"

She shook her head. "They talked to me before the ambulance brought me here."

"OK," he said.

"Are you going to take me home now?" she asked.

Nathan nodded. "Yes," he said firmly. "But not to your home."

"Nathan—"

"You are _not_ going back there, Haley," he said determinedly. "_Ever_! Tomorrow morning, Lucas and I will go get your things, but _you_ won't step foot in that neighborhood again. Got it?" His voice was laced with anger.

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but nod. She'd never seen Nathan so solemn before.

"Good," he said, taking her hand and threading their fingers together. "Let's go home, then."


	78. Chapter 78

_Author's Note: I want to start off by apologizing for the delay in getting this chapter out. I've started a new full-time job, and I've kept some hours at my old job, so now I'm working a lot more. I've also taken on some other commitments in my personal life that haven't left me with a lot of free time. I'm not sure when I'll get the next one out, but know that while I may not be updating as frequently, I **will** be finishing this story. Some of my others have seemed to be dropping in interest, so I'm not sure what I'll be doing about those ones. Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop me a review! - Angie_

"It looks like those pain pills are kicking in already," Nathan said softly as he fastened Haley's seatbelt. She opened her eyes and yawned.

"Yeah," she said sleepily. She hadn't wanted to, but the doctors had made her take something for her ribs before she'd left. They'd told her that while she was only a little sore right now, she would really be hurting in a little while.

Nathan shut the door softly and made his way to the drivers' side and buckled himself in. He pulled out his cell phone as they were leaving the parking lot. "I'm gonna call Lucas and Brooke to fill them in," he said, hitting number two on his speed dial.

Haley shook her head furiously and he snapped his phone shut. "Why not?" he asked.

"Because I can't handle the 'brama,'" she explained.

Nathan chuckled. "I think you mean _drama_," he corrected.

Once again, Haley shook her head. "No, I meant 'brama.' Brooke and her drama," she explained.

"Oh," Nathan said in understanding. _Did __**all**__ girls make up words like this?_ he wondered.

"I love her, but I'm not sure I could handle all of her attention right now. She'd want details, and really, I just want to sleep and forget."

"I don't blame you," he said, not wanting her to have to relive any of the events that had taken place earlier tonight.

"Nathan?" Haley said softly.

He turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"I need some clothes," she reminded him.

"You can sleep in something of mine for tonight," he told her. "I told you Lucas and I will get your things tomorrow. But I meant what I said, Haley. You're not going back there again."

Haley bit her lower lip and nodded in silent agreement.

That worried Nathan more than anything else she could have done. Haley was never so docile. This creep—whoever he was, had really scared her. He had to force himself to loosen his grip on the steering wheel.

He looked over at Haley. Her eyes were drifting shut again. Nathan sighed in relief. She'd be scared for a few days—he was sure of that. But maybe— for tonight— she'd be able to sleep after the adrenaline rush she was sure to have experienced.

Nathan opened his cell phone again and this time, hit number one on the speed dial. His father answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad, it's me."

"I know it's you. What's going on? I've been worried sick since you left! You blew out of here like a tornado and had absolutely no business driving in whatever state of mind that was supposed to be!" he scolded.

"I'm sorry," Nathan said. "I should have told you what was going on." He sighed. "It was the hospital. Haley was attacked earlier tonight."

"_Oh, my God!"_ his father said. "Is she OK?"

Nathan went on to give his father all of the details he had.

"I'll tell you one thing; I'll be riding those guys down at the police station hard on this!" Dan said in his most stern tone of voice.

"Thanks, Dad," Nathan said. "Listen, I'm bringing Haley to the beach house tonight and I'm going to stay there with her. Can you tell Maddie that I'm not going to be back until tomorrow?"

"She's already asleep," Dan said.

"Good," Nathan said. "I don't want her to see Haley like this. Her face is pretty banged up and I have a feeling she's going to have a hard time getting around."

"She shouldn't go back to that apartment building, Nathan," Dan told him.

"It's already taken care of," Nathan said. He heard his father sigh from his end of the phone.

"If you need anything…"

"You'll be the first person I call, Dad" Nathan promised, then hung up his phone.

777

Haley woke up to Nathan tenderly shaking her shoulder. "Hales," he was saying softly but firmly. She opened her eyes and sighed stretching. She winced at the movement. The doctors had been right about her ribs. Nathan's house was a short ride from the hospital, but already the aching had kicked in. She almost groaned as she thought about how much pain she'd be in when the pills they'd given her wore off.

Nathan helped her out of the vehicle and she winced again when her feet hit the ground.

"I'm sorry," Nathan said sincerely.

"It's not your fault," she said, hissing in pain as she took the first step.

Nathan reached behind himself to close the door behind her and then lifted her arm around his waist, causing her to lean on him. "I was going to carry you," he told her, "but I wasn't sure how much the scrunching of your midsection would have hurt."

"A lot," she said, shivering at just the thought.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You doing OK?" he asked.

She nodded, but he heard her wince again.

"Liar," he said.

Haley giggled, then, "Owww. Don't make me laugh," she said half-heartedly.

"I'm sorry."

"And stop apologizing!" she demanded.

Nathan couldn't help but grin. Now _this_ was the Haley he was used to.

777

"I promise I didn't look," Nathan said, fighting off a grin. He'd just helped her into one of his T-shirts and while it had been a challenge, it had also been fun, seeing Haley get all timid. "But for the record, it's not like I haven't seen it before."

Haley's eyes widened. "Let's not talk about that," she said, her cheeks pinkening.

"_Talk_ about it? Why would I want to _talk_ about it when I can relive it every night in my dreams?" he teased.

"Nathan!" she said, trying not to be embarrassed.

He grinned down at her. "Are you comfy?" he asked, tucking the last bit of blanket around Haley. He decided that because she was injured, he'd be a gentleman and change the subject for her. But only this once.

She nodded and held back a yawn. "I'm fine," she said.

"Do you want me to put on a movie for you to fall asleep to?" he asked.

She nodded and Nathan grabbed the remote, surfing through the channels until he found a movie he thought she'd like. He put the remote back down on the coffee table and reaching over, turned the lamp beside the couch off. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Night, Hales," he whispered, straightening and taking a step towards the stairs. Her hand shot out and grabbed his. He heard her wince at the jerky movement.

"Where are you going?" she asked in a panicked voice.

"I was going to go up to bed," he told her.

Haley swallowed nervously. "Will you…stay down here until I fall asleep?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Nathan nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from hers. He hated the fear he saw in them. "Of course," he promised.

She nodded back and then studied his face, as if to make sure he really would. He waited for her to look away first and then turned away from the couch.

Walking over to the closet beside the front door, he grabbed a blanket off the top shelf and settled himself onto the recliner and covered himself up. It was a long time before he fell asleep.

777

When Nathan woke up, it was three o'clock in the morning and his entire body was sore from sleeping in the recliner. And, he supposed the fact that he'd been so tense worrying about Haley hadn't helped ease the ache in his muscles any. Nathan sighed, standing up and heading for the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and poured himself a tall glass of water, drinking it down in one swallow. He shut the light off and returned to the living room. Haley had moved up onto her side in her sleep and the blanket that should have been covering her was hanging down over the side of the couch. He walked over to her side and resituated her blanket so it was covering her completely. He stood there for a moment, looking down at her. She looked so peaceful while she was sleeping. Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered open and she looked up at him, giving him a sleepy smile.

He bent at his knees so his face was level with hers. "How ya doin'?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm OK," she assured him groggily.

He nodded. "Good," he said.

"What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"Three," he answered.

"And you've been sleeping in the recliner all this time?"

He nodded, reaching over and tucking a lock of stray hair behind her ear.

"You're always here when I need you," she said through her drug induced haze.

Nathan took her hand and lifting it to his lips, he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Where else would I be?" he asked softly.

Haley shrugged, her eyes fixed on their hands as he laced his fingers with hers. "With someone else," she said, choking on the words.

He tilted his head to the side. "Awww…Hales," Nathan said. "Don't you know?"

"What?" she asked, her eyes already closing again even as her grip on his hand tightened.

"There isn't anyone else," he told her tenderly.


	79. Chapter 79

Haley yawned and started to stretch—then immediately regretted the action. She let out a low groan and her arms flew to her midsection as if to try and lessen the pain. When she was settled again, she realized that she was no longer on the couch. She'd woken a few hours ago to find Nathan on the floor beside her and she'd slid down the front of the couch to lie next to him. But that was when the pain pills were still at work. She tried to sit up and make her way back to the couch before Nathan awoke. But she couldn't even force herself to straighten.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked, his eyes still closed.

But then, wasn't that her luck? Of course he'd be awake. "Just…trying to sit up," she said weakly.

Nathan laughed and she looked up at him. His eyes were still closed and he lifted his arm to place it over her waist. As always, his first concern was for her, and instead of pulling her closer, he moved nearer. "Were you trying to get back up on the couch before I woke up?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Haley immediately blushed and she was glad that his eyes weren't open. "Yes," she croaked. "But the stupid Vicodin wore off and my ribs aren't cooperating."

"Good old Vicodin," Nathan said. He lifted his arm away from her and stretched with a loud groan. Haley was jealous at the action, but, oh, the way his t-shirt looked as it molded itself to his chest while he continued to stretch. He opened his eyes and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "Good morning," he said.

Haley didn't say anything, just sat there unblinking.

"Need some more painkillers?" he asked.

She nodded wordlessly.

"How about some B I B first?"

"What's that?" she asked confused.

He grinned at her. "Breakfast in bed," he informed her. "An old tradition with me and my kid," he reminded her.

Haley's stomach growled at the thought of food and Nathan laughed. "That sounded like a yes," he said, standing up. "How's cereal and toast sound?" he asked.

"Delicious," Haley told him. She hadn't had supper last night and her belly wasn't lying—she was starving. A few minutes later, Nathan returned with the cereal—Special K with bananas—and some wheat toast. He put the tray on the coffee table and rearranged their makeshift bed and pillows so they were sitting up against the couch.

Haley sighed as she swallowed the last of her milk. "I could get used to this," she admitted.

Nathan looked at her—a huge grin on his face. "Me, too," he agreed.

Haley's eyes widened at what she'd just said. "I meant—I didn't mean—I think—"

"You meant breakfast in bed, Hales," he told her.

"Right," she said, nodding energetically.

"Not me," he said, standing up and collecting her bowl and dirty paper towel. He disappeared into the kitchen and then returned a minute later. "I need to go see Maddie this morning," he told Haley. "She didn't know I wasn't spending the night at mom and dad's, and before Luke and I can get you moved out of your apartment, I'd like to go see her."

"Whoa," Haley said, bracing her knuckles on the floor and straightening as much as she could. She winced in pain and Nathan was at her side in seconds with another pain pill and a glass of water. She took the pill and a swallow of water and then it was right back to the subject at hand. "I don't want Lucas to know what happened to me," she said. "I'm not ready for Brooke and Peyton yet."

Nathan shrugged. "Then we won't tell them," he promised her. "But we're getting you out of there _today_, Haley, and that's not negotiable."

"But—"

He leaned down and interrupted her with a soft kiss on the lips. "But nothing," he said softly. "You gonna be OK while I take a shower?" he asked, straightening.

Haley sighed, knowing she would be fighting a losing battle. A protective Nathan was a stubborn Nathan. "Yes," she said. He left the room and suddenly her head was filled with an image of Nathan's bare chest—the one that had greeted her when he'd opened his hotel room door in California. Her mouth went dry, and sighing, she slid down the front of the couch. Staying with Nathan even for a short amount of time was a bad idea. A very _bad_ idea.

777

"Brooke is gonna freak when she finds out," Lucas said.

Jake nodded in agreement. "Peyton, too."

"You just have to wait until Haley's ready," Nathan warned them. "She's exhausted right now and just needs a little time to rest," he explained.

Jake pulled Haley's top dresser drawer open and grinned. He reached in and pulled a pair of her panties out with his finger. He dangled them and studied at them curiously. "Do you think everyone keeps their skivvies in the top drawer?" he asked.

Nathan practically dove for the scant piece of lace and pulled it from Jake's hand. "We're here to get Haley the hell out of here, not to go through her stuff! Now, I'll do her bedroom," he said dismissively.

"Brooke doesn't wear underwear," Lucas said.

Nathan groaned and looked over at his brother. He was standing there with a longing grin on his face. "This is going to take all day, isn't it?" he asked.

"Probably," Jake agreed.

"And if I ask really nice, she doesn't even wear a bra."

Nathan walked over to Lucas and slapped him on the back of the head. "Focus, man!" he ordered.

Lucas scowled. "Fine," he said, leaving the room. "I'll take the kitchen."

Nathan sighed and went quickly to work, tossing her clothes haphazardly into boxes. The good thing about packing someone else's things was there was no rhyme or reason to it. It didn't matter what you threw together. As long as it all got boxed up. He wouldn't be the one unpacking it. He wiped the sweat from his brow—third floor and no air conditioning. _How had Haley done it?_ he wondered. It was like a sauna in here. He pulled his t-shirt off and went back to work in his jeans. He was pulling things from Haley's bottom drawer when he grabbed a pair of cotton pants. He gave them a tug and heard a soft clinking noise. He reached in and when he saw what was making the sound, he couldn't help but grin.

777

When Nathan walked into the house that evening, Haley was snoring on the couch. He closed the door softly and heard her stir at the sound. When he turned around again, her eyes were open. "How ya feeling?" he asked, approaching the couch.

Haley nodded and stretched. It felt so good to be able to stretch again. "Good," she said, nodding enthusiastically.

"Good," Nathan said, sitting down beside her as she straightened. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "I missed you today," he told her.

"I missed you, too," she said begrudgingly.

Nathan was glad that she wasn't looking at him because he couldn't help but grin. She was missing him—against her better judgment. And his best guess told him that she wanted him, too. Against her better judgment. "We got everything out of your apartment today," he told her. "It's in my parents' garage."

"Nathan, I can't thank you enough for taking care of me. And moving me," she told him.

"Yes, you can," he told her. "You could move in with me."

Disbelieving laughter bubbled up her throat—and it had nothing to do with the Vicodin. "You're kidding, right?"

Nathan shook his head. "No, I'm not kidding," he assured her, taking her hand in his and threading their fingers together. "I could really use some help with Maddie."

"You have your parents," she reminded him.

"For a little while," he agreed. "But they're moving away."

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Dad got a really good deal on a new car dealership. It needs to be hauled back onto its feet and fixing thins is right up his alley."

"That's awful."

"No, it's not," Nathan disagreed. "It's great for my parents."

"But not for you and Maddie."

"We'll be all right," he told her. "Especially with you here to help out."

"Nathan—"

"Don't say no, Hales," he said softly. "Not yet. Just tell me you'll think about it."

Haley sighed. "I'll think about it," she conceded.

"Good," he said. "You hungry?"

She nodded and he slowly stood up.

"I'll go make us some supper."

777

It took all of Haley's energy, but she managed to shower while Nathan got supper ready. He'd brought some of her clothes home with him, and she picked out a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top to lounge around in. She wasn't moving around much anyway. She got out of the steaming shower and wiped at the steam on the mirror. She saw the big bruise around her eye, and leaning in for a better look, she touched it with her finger tips. She cringed as she saw how big it was. She'd been so lucky that he'd only hit her. It could have been much worse, and Haley shuddered at _that_ thought. She quickly dressed and blow dried her hair, threw it up into an untidy bun, and then walked down the back stairs and into the kitchen. Nathan was just pulling a pan of homemade macaroni and cheese out of the oven. "My favorite," she said.

Nathan put it on the top of the stove to let it cool off. "I know," he told her.

She walked over to the table and sat down with a sigh. "_That_ was harder than I thought."

"Showering?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You're pretty banged up, Hales," he said, studying her face.

"I know," she whispered softly.

"How about a toast?" he said with forced enthusiasm.

"I can't drink," she reminded him.

"Oh, this is a Maddie-special toast," he told her. "Complete with apple juice."

She smiled. "That sounds great."

He poured them each a glass and then sat down next to her, passing her a glass. "To luck," he said. "And…to _you_ being _here_."

"To luck," she agreed, lifting the glass to her lips. She stopped halfway there. "Nathan," she said cautiously.

"Yeah?" he asked, taking a swallow of his juice.

"Where did you get these wine glasses?" she asked in a shrill tone.

He grinned at her. "Your bottom drawer."

"Nathan!" she fairly shrieked.

"You stole these," he accused her.

"I did not!" she argued.

"From my hotel room in California."

"I—" Haley stammered.

"You wanted something to remember our night by," he taunted.

She blushed furiously, not meeting his eyes.

"Hales," he said tenderly.

"Yeah?"

"I stole the sheets."


	80. Chapter 80

"Would you please sit down?" Brooke said crossly as Haley pulled a lamp out of one of the boxes and placed in on her night stand.

"Brooke," Haley said in exasperation, "Would you please stop trying to mother me? I am fine!" she insisted.

"You were _just _attacked," Brooke remind her.

"A week ago," Haley said.

"Yeah, and that's a whole 'nother discussion we'll have when you get back on your feet!" she said, still angry at her friend for keeping _that_ secret.

Haley sighed and sat down on her bed. Protective _Brooke_ was just as bad as protective _Nathan_.

"I still can't believe you're moving in here," Peyton said, placing some things in Haley's dresser drawer.

Haley looked around at the finished basement of Nathan's parents' beach house. "Neither can I," she said. And if it hadn't been for Lucas, she wouldn't have. After further conversation, Nathan had told her he'd been considering quitting the basketball team in order to take care of Maddie when his parents moved away. She'd thought he'd only been saying that so she'd move into the house and he could keep a close eye on her, especially after the attack. As it turned out, he'd been telling the truth. Lucas had stopped by one night when he knew Nathan wasn't home and had filled Haley in on his brothers' plans. Haley had had no choice but to move in in order to help Nathan with Maddie. She knew his daughter was his first love, but basketball was his second, and she'd hate to see him have to give that up.

"What do you think will happen?" Peyton asked.

Brooke straightened after finding just the right spot for one of Haley's throw rugs. "Oh, you know Haley and Nathan," she said with a grin. "Lots and lots of _discussing_. And then when they're done discussing things, they'll do it some more. Because God forbid either one of them just take the bull by the horns. Oh, no. They like to beat dead horses."

Peyton burst out laughing. "Tell us how you really feel, B. Davis."

Brooke bit her lower lip. "Sorry," she muttered, moving the throw rug once again. Apparently it wasn't going to reach its full potential just inside Haley's bedroom door.

"No you're not," Haley said.

Brooke shook her head. "No, I'm not," she agreed. And left it at that.

777

"This stupid gate!" Nathan muttered. "It was a hell of a lot easier when I put it up a few years ago!"

Lucas cleared his throat. "You might want to use a flathead," he said, taking the Phillips head screwdriver away from his brother.

"Right," Nathan said, studying the screws.

"Why are you putting this up again?" Jake asked.

"I'm just afraid that with Haley living in the basement, Maddie might try and go down if she wakes up in the middle of the night. And fall down the stairs in the process," Nathan explained.

"Good thinking," Jake said.

"I know," Nathan agreed.

"So, what's it gonna be like?" Lucas asked.

"What?" Nathan returned only half paying attention.

"Living with Haley," Lucas said.

Nathan shrugged. "I guess I'll find out."

"I wonder if she sleeps in the buff," Jake thought out loud.

Two sets of Scott eyes flew to his face.

"Well, I mean—she could wake up in the middle of the night one night, be thirsty, and…her robe is in the bathroom because she accidentally left it there. So, she comes upstairs with nothing on, assuming everyone will be asleep, but lo and behold, you're already in the kitchen," Jake said. "She walks in, and your eyes slide over her body—"

"Enough!" Nathan said.

But Lucas grinned. "Sounds like the start of a really good porn movie," he taunted.

"Well, it _isn't_ a porn movie," Nathan reminded his brother. "It's my life."

"If you're lucky, there won't be much difference," Jake said.

"I don't know why I hang out with you guys!" Nathan said exasperatedly.

777

"We need some tunes," Peyton said, looking around for Haley's radio. "Brooke, where did you put the radio?"

Brooke looked around, her eyes searching the room. "Over there," she said, pointing to a stand across the room.

Peyton got up and turned the radio on. She searched for a station, but the only one that would come in was a pop one. "I guess this will have to do," she muttered, returning to her place on the floor. She reached for another slice of pizza.

"Are you all caught up with your classes?" Brooke asked. Due to her sore ribs, Haley had missed a few days of classes. "Or were you ever behind?"

Haley grinned. "I—" she started, then just as quickly stopped. The color faded from her cheeks as the first few notes of the next song started.

"What?" Brooke asked urgently at her friends' expression.

_"And up next, the newest hit from Chris Keller with some help from Tree Hill's very own Haley Scott. This is their latest single, Where the Stars Go Blue," _they heard the DJ say.

Brooke jumped to her feet and crossed the room in a heartbeat, turning the radio on as loud as it would go. The three girls sat there in stunned silence until the song was over. "Hales," Brooke said, her voice thick with emotion. There were tears in her eyes. "That was beautiful."

Haley blushed at the compliment. "It was…nothing," she said awkwardly.

"That was _not _nothing!" Peyton exclaimed. "That was definitely _some_thing! Trust me, Haley. I've heard _nothing_, and that wasn't it!"

Brooke studied Haley's face. "What are you thinking?" she asked softly.

"I hope Nathan didn't hear it," Haley whispered.

777

Lucas cleared his throat, taking the plunge. "Well, I don't know what to say," he said. OK, so it wasn't a very big plunge.

"You don't have to say anything," Nathan said.

"But I—"

"That's not not saying anything!" Nathan scolded.

Lucas stopped midsentence, studying his brothers' face. It was in full-fledged frown mode. "She left the tour for you, Nate," Lucas reminded him. "And that was even _after_ you sent her away."

"I know that," Nathan said huffily, taking a drink of his beer.

"Are you—"

"No, I'm not!" Nathan said. "I am _not_ OK. Don't you think I know that if I hadn't sent Haley away that we'd probably be married today? Or at the very least, engaged!"

Lucas sat there, silent.

"Don't you have something to say?" Nathan asked mockingly.

Lucas shook his head. "No one does a better job of beating you up than you do, big brother. That's how it's _always_ been."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nathan asked.

Oh, how Lucas hated it when his brother went into chick mode. He sighed. "It means just what I said. You're harder on yourself than anyone else could ever be. Well, except for Dan in high school," Lucas said dryly. "Why would I even _need_ to say something?"

Nathan rubbed at his eyes. "Because I need you to," he said quietly.

Lucas nodded. "Fine," he said. "Stop living in the past, Nate."

"I'm not—"

"Shut up and listen to me!" Lucas said. "You wanted me to talk, I'm gonna talk. So keep your mouth shut and your ears open."

Nathan's eyes widened, but at least he stopped talking.

"You _are_ living in the past, Nate. You are _so_ sorry for what you did to Haley—and rightfully so, you were kind of a prick—that you're trying to make it up to her. Every second of every day. You're trying to be her white knight. Her hero. You need to stop that. You riding in on your white horse is _not_ every day reality. She needs to know that you're going to be there for the little things as _well_ as the big things. That you're going to stick by her side. And _listen_ to her, Nate. _Listen_ to what she has to say. God, Lauren fucked you up so badly that you can't separate her from Haley. You just sit and wait for her to leave. And then when she doesn't, you solve that by pushing her away. And all this, after she _tells_ you she doesn't want to go."

"Easy for you to say, Luke," Nathan said angrily. "Lauren never promised _you_ she was going to stay."

"She never did you, either!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Yes, she…" But Nathan's voice trailed off. His brother was right. He searched and searched his memory, but he couldn't remember Lauren ever telling him she was going to stay. She may have deserted their daughter, but she'd never lied to him. She'd made it known from the time that she found out she was pregnant that she hadn't wanted their baby. And if Nathan hadn't been so wrapped up in his own life at the time, he probably would have realized that she was going to bolt the second she got a chance. "I am such a shit," he muttered at the revelation.

Lucas nodded in agreement. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

Nathan shook his head. "I don't know."

"Wrong answer," Lucas said. "You're going to back off of Haley."

"But…"

"You're going to back off Haley," Lucas repeated.

"How can I do that if she's living here?" Nathan asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Lucas asked. "That makes it even easier. I'm not saying to ignore her. I'm just saying; don't be at her beckon call when she's not even calling you. Have a little patience, Nate. Let her realize she needs you again."

"But what if she doesn't need me?" Nathan whispered.

Lucas put a hand on his brothers' shoulder. "Not gonna happen," he said reassuringly.


	81. Chapter 81

"He _still_ hasn't said anything to you?" Brooke asked in disbelief.

Haley shook her head and picked a slice of pepperoni off her pizza. She frowned as she saw a grease drip down onto her plate and quickly dropped it. "Not one word," she said, wiping her fingers on a napkin.

"Don't you think that's…weird?" Peyton asked, popping a French fry into her mouth. "I mean—a few months ago, the man thought he was gonna marry you. Now you rob him of his last name, and he doesn't say a word to you about it? What's going on?"

Haley sighed. "Please. Nathan has been walking on egg shells since I moved in," she told her friends dryly. She wasn't sure what had happened, but gone was the protective Nathan she was used to. In his place was a distant Nathan, one she hadn't dealt with since the day she'd first met him when he'd picked Maddie up from daycare. " "Maybe he didn't hear it," she said with a shrug.

"OK," Brooke said. "I'll agree that maybe he didn't hear it at that exact second; however, I have heard that song only five hundred times in the last two weeks, and every time they play it, they announce you as 'Tree Hills' very own Haley _Scott_.' You think he hasn't heard that at _least_ once?"

Haley didn't know _what_ the hell to think. "All I know is that Nathan is playing the hot-cold game, except there's no hot!" she said.

Brooke frowned. "But I thought that's what you wanted," she said, confused.

"Of course it's not what I want!" Haley said.

Peyton shook her head in bewilderment. "Haley…what?!"

Haley sighed. "It's not that I want him," she explained. "But…I of course want to be wanted by him."

"My God, you sound like me," Brooke said.

"I think you're officially twisted," Peyton said.

"I know!" Haley agreed. "I know I am, but that doesn't stop me from feeling that way! What is wrong with me?"

"You're on estrogen overload," Brooke said.

"What?" Haley asked.

"It's impossible to live with a man once you've had sex with him," Brooke clarified. "In a nutshell, you're horny as hell. And those pain meds you were on a few weeks ago…" Brooke took a sharp breath. "Those were bad."

"Why?" Haley asked.

"Because they really let your guard down. They let any pent up feelings you have to just…bubble over. And once they start to bubble…well, let's just say it's only a matter of time before you're back in his bed."

"Brooke!" Haley said in exasperation. She looked at Peyton for help.

Peyton shrugged. "I'm not sure what you want me to say," she said.

"I want you to make sense out of this situation," Haley told her. "In a totally non-Brooke kind of way."

"Haley, I _dated_ Nathan. We had sex. A _lot_. If I was living with him and had feelings for him like you do…well, let's just say—I _sure_ as hell wouldn't be sleeping in the basement."

Haley sighed. "Thanks for nothing," she said, feeling oddly defeated.

777

"You _still _haven't said anything to her yet?" Lucas asked, groaning as his player missed the shot. He pounded the game controller on his leg.

"Operator error," Nathan said in amusement, his eyes still on the television screen.

"Shut up," Lucas muttered. "This time, your ass is mine!"

"You mean like it was supposed to be the last four games?"

Lucas glared at his brother. "So, are you _going_ to say anything to her?" he asked, returning his attention to the screen as well.

Nathan sighed. "No," he admitted. "Not according to Operation Lucas. Score!" he yelled again, this time causing Lucas to jump.

"Shit, man!"

"Daddy, I heard that!" Laney shouted from three rooms away.

"Sorry, Blue. I owe you another quarter," he yelled back.

"Two if you don't want me to tell Mommy!" she bartered.

Nathan burst out laughing. "That girl is _smart_!"

"Well, she _is_ mine," Lucas reminded him. "And…Operation Lucas?"

Nathan nodded. "Score!" he yelled again. "I'm trying to be lukewarm."

"You do realize it's possible to be lukewarm to someone and still talk to them, right?" Lucas asked. "Oh! In your face!" he said, as his man scored.

"Dude, it's 20 to 6," Nathan reminded him. "And… you do know me, right? I can't be in the same room as Haley and be lukewarm. I have to do it with _at least_ fifty feet between us."

Lucas laughed. "You've been avoiding her completely all this time?"

Nathan nodded. "Well, yeah."

Lucas shook his head.

"It's only been two weeks," Nathan said.

"Well, when _do_ you plan on talking to her again?" Lucas asked.

"Tonight," Nathan said. "I need to know if she plans to be here for Thanksgiving or not."

"What difference does it make?" Lucas asked.

"Well, if she's not gonna be here to cook, I'm gonna try and wrestle an invitation out of you. Brooke's not cooking, right?"

Lucas laughed. "Does she ever?"

"She orders a mean pizza," Nathan teased.

"This is true."

"Daddy!" Laney said excitedly as she came sprinting into the living room with Maddie right behind her.

Lucas' eyes widened at the sight of his daughter. "Laney?" he said, fearing what was to come. She was standing there in one of his long sleeved button up shirts, sleeves rolled up to her elbows with finger paint all over her. Maddie was wearing the same attire.

"Come and see what we did!" Laney squealed, disappearing down the hallway.

Lucas followed her into his and Brooke's bedroom. He froze in his tracks at the door. The white sheets on the bed were covered with smudges of finger paint. Luckily the comforter had been pushed to the foot of the bed and remained untouched. He lifted his eyes to the headboard and found himself struggling for breath. "Laney," he whispered.

Her eyes shone as she crawled on top of the bed and stood up on the mattress near the headboard. "This is you," she told him, pointing to the right side of the headboard, "Because this is the side you sleep on." She pointed to the other side of the expensive oak headboard. "And this is Mommy," she said, holding her arms out as if she were Vanna White. She clapped her hands together. "Do you like it?" she asked eagerly. And then, before he could answer, "And we painted you without clothes, because you never wear any to bed!" she announced.

Lucas stood therein shocked silence for a moment, and then, "_I_ love it," Nathan said appreciatively from behind his brother in the doorway. He pushed past Lucas, grinning from ear to ear. He picked Laney up in one arm and Maddie in the other. "Now how about we get the two of you in the tub while Uncle Lucas takes the sheets off the bed and puts them in the washer?" he asked.

"Why do we need a bath, Uncle Natey?" Laney asked wrinkling her nose. "_I_ took one this morning."

Nathan struggled to turn the light on in the bathroom and then stood in front of the mirror so the two little girls could see their reflections. "Because you look like little clowns," he told them. They giggled when they saw the paint on their faces. Nathan put them down and found the right temperature for a bath. When the tub was about halfway full, he stopped the water. After making sure they got safely into the tub, he left the bathroom. As he walked into the hallway, he could hear Lucas muttering to himself. He walked into his brothers' bedroom and watched as he stripped the bed of its sheets. He crossed his arms as he stood in the doorway. "At least she got you anatomically correct," he said with a grin.

Lucas' head snapped up to the drawing. "No, she didn't," he argued. "She didn't even give me a—" he threw the sheet at Nathan when he saw the grin on his face. "Very funny," he said angrily.

777

"Hey," Nathan said from the couch as Haley closed the living room door behind her. It was the first word he'd spoken to her since her ribs had healed and she'd been able to do everything for herself.

"Hey," she said cautiously, searching her mind for a safe subject. "Where's Maddie?"

"She's in bed. She fell asleep on the way home from Lucas'," he told her.

She nodded and willed her cheeks not to redden. _In a nutshell, you're horny as hell, _kept playing over and over again in her head. She was going to kill Brooke.

"Well, good night," she said, starting for the stairs to the basement.

"Night," Nathan said, congratulating himself as she made her way down to her room. He was really good at this lukewarm stuff.

777

Nathan woke up at two in the morning and pulled the comforter up from the foot of his bed. This was the first cool night of the season and his sheet didn't seem to be enough for him. Thinking of Maddie, he pushed the blanket off him and stood up. He'd only covered her up with a sheet when he'd put her to bed. He yawned as he made his way to the hallway and turned the hall light on. He walked into Maddie's room and stopped at the sight before him. When he'd put the gate up at the top of the stairs, it was so that Maddie wouldn't go wandering down to the basement in the middle of the night looking for Haley. It never occurred to him that Haley would come looking for Maddie. He grinned as he looked at the two of them. Haley's arms were wrapped around Maddie, and Maddie's head was tucked beneath her chin. Nathan quietly made his way to the bed and pulled the princess comforter up over the both of them. Only one thought flew through his mind. Lukewarm sucked.


	82. Chapter 82

"I have a date," Nathan said a few weeks later while he, Jake, and Lucas were hanging out at the Rivercourt.

"A date?" Lucas said, stopping mid-free-throw. He tucked the ball under his arm and moved closer to his brother. "With Haley?" he asked.

Nathan shook his head. "It's not with Haley," he informed them.

"Then who is it with?" Lucas wanted to know. Nathan hadn't expressed interest in any other female besides Haley in over a year.

"It's with a woman I met in my study group," he answered.

Jake nodded thoughtfully. "So…you're over Haley all of a sudden?" he asked.

Nathan took a deep breath and put his hands in his jacket pockets. The November weather was getting chilly. "I'm over _waiting _for Haley," he said forcefully. "There's a difference." He looked at Lucas. "Do you think you and Brooke could keep Maddie for me on Saturday night?" he asked. "I just…I don't feel right asking Haley to watch her. She moved in to help with Maddie while I was at games and practices, not to help while I was out dating other women."

Lucas nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem," he said.

"I appreciate it," Nathan told his brother.

*****

It was the last Saturday before Thanksgiving and since she would be in Maine celebrating the holiday with Taylor and Tyler, Haley was looking forward to spending tonight with Maddie, and although she was reluctant to admit it, Nathan. She'd been nervous about moving in with him, thinking he would smother her by being by her side every second, but he hadn't. Thinks were much more comfortable than she'd anticipated. They had supper together alone on nights when Nathan had late practices, and it wasn't uncommon for them to watch television together until after midnight most nights. She knew he wasn't trying, and maybe it was for that very reason that he'd wormed his way even further into her heart. Haley hadn't realized it at the time, but it was apparent to her now that things with her and Nathan had always felt strained. But that was gone and things felt _easy_ now. It was as if she were able to enjoy being with him now. She pulled into the driveway and got out of her vehicle, practically dancing her way up to the house. "Hello?" she called as she walked through the front door. She frowned as she closed it behind her. She'd seen Nathan's SUV in the driveway and usually Maddie came running to greet her as soon as she walked through the door. "Maddie?" she called again in a sing-song voice.

*****

Nathan cringed as he heard Haley come through the front door. He was hoping to make it out of the house before she got back from cheerleading practice. _Just my luck_, he thought. He grabbed his brown leather jacket and took the stairs leading into the living room two at a time. "Hey," he said as he walked into the room.

"Hey," she said softly. "You look so…handsome," she told him. The words came out in a rush and Nathan suspected she hadn't meant to say them aloud, especially when her cheeks reddened and she bit down on her lower lip.

"Thanks," he said sincerely.

Haley cleared her throat. "Where's Maddie?" she asked, looking around. Anywhere but at him, Nathan noticed.

"She's staying at Lucas' and Brookes' tonight," he told her.

She nodded. "Oh," she said. "Are you…going somewhere?" she asked tentatively, looking at the jacket in his arms.

He studied her face for a minute, and then, "I have a date," he told her.

"Oh," Haley said as the color left her cheeks.

Nathan could only describe the look on her face as stunned, and he was suddenly overcome with a guilt that he was pretty sure was misplaced. "Is…that…OK?" he asked.

She nodded fervently. "It's…of course it's OK," she stammered. "It's actually not even any of my business," she said with a weak smile. But the look in her eyes told him she thought otherwise.

"Haley—" he said, reaching for her.

But in true Haley fashion, she took a step away from him. It seemed as though she was always just out of his grasp. "Have a good time, OK?" she said, then turned and fled down the stairs leading to her room in the basement.

Nathan sighed as he grabbed his keys and made his way to his vehicle. "Women," he muttered to himself as he slammed the drivers' side door.

*****

Peyton placed a mug of steaming hot chocolate with marshmallows in front of Haley and another at her own spot. She put a now sleeping Jeyton in his car seat and took the chair across from her friend. "So, he looked good, huh?" Peyton asked, smiling softly at Haley.

Haley nodded and rolled her eyes. "Soooo good," she said. He was wearing dark blue jeans that were worn on the quads and a white t-shirt that was fitted to his body. I didn't get a look at his backside, but I suspect it was pretty spectacular. And he was holding onto his leather bomber jacket. Well, we all know what happens when he puts _that_ on," Haley said.

"What?" Peyton asked.

Haley pushed her hot chocolate away and put her head down on the table. "The angels in Heaven start rejoicing!" she said dramatically, giving a few fake sobs.

Peyton began to laugh.

"Peyton, what is wrong with me?" she asked, lifting her head back up and giving her friend a desperate look.

"Well, I'd tell you that you need to grow up," Peyton said, "but since I've been saying that for months now, I'm gonna just keep my mouth shut." She took a sip of her cocoa.

"Seriously," Haley said. "_I'm_ the one who's been pushing the friend thing. He's wanted me for months, and now that he's dating someone, I want him again? What is wrong with me?"

"Oh, well, that just makes you female," Peyton teased with a grin. She wanted to point out to Haley that she'd never stopped wanting Nathan, but wasn't quite sure this was the right time. Her friend wasn't likely to listen anyway.

"Yes, well…it's days like these that make me want to trade my boobs and my hoo-ha in for a…penis!" she said.

Peyton let loose a roar of laughter that Haley had never heard from her before and it caused her to break into a fit of giggles of her own.

Suddenly, Haley's face sobered. "What if he brings her home tonight?" she whispered.

Peyton didn't think that was likely, but still felt the least she could do was invite Haley to stay over. "Do you wanna crash here tonight?" Peyton asked.

Haley sighed and nodded, pulling her hot chocolate back in front of her again, taking a sip.

*****

"I still can't believe that he's out on a date with someone else," Brooke whispered to Lucas as she pulled back the covers on her side of the bed that night.

Lucas grinned at her. "Why are you whispering?" he asked in a normal tone as he climbed into bed.

She laughed. "Because I don't want to wake the monsters," she told him.

"I can't blame you there," Lucas agreed. Laney and Maddie _had_ been a handful tonight. "Are you _that _surprised he's out with another woman?" he asked. He wasn't, but then again, he'd had the benefit of knowing Nathan when he was in high school, back before Maddie was born. Nathan had been pretty wild back then with the chicks _and_ with drinking.

"Honestly—yes," she said, turning off the lamp on the nightstand that was next to her side of the bed. "He's head over heels for Haley."

"Miss Wishy-Washy?" Lucas joked.

"Pretty much," Brooke said. "I love the girl, but God. Enough is enough!" She sighed. "I'm so proud of him. Hopefully this will get her ass in gear!"

"If that's possible," Lucas said dryly.

"I wish she just knew what she wanted."

"Like you did?" Lucas asked, rolling up onto his side so he was facing her in the dark. His hand found her waist and he pulled her closer to him.

"Yes," she said passionately. "I practically _stalked_ you when I wanted you," she reminded him.

"I can think of worse things than being stalked by Brooke Davis," he said, reaching up under her light yellow cami until he found her breast.

"Lucas," she squealed in surprise.

"What?" he asked all innocence.

She reached into his boxers and took him in her hand.

"Oh, that," he hissed.

She giggled. "Yeah," she said breathlessly. "That."

He pulled his hand away and she groaned in protest. He reached for his boxers and used both hands to slide them down his legs, then kicked them off with his feet. He reached for the waistband of her panties and gave them a snap. "Take these damn things off before I rip them off you," he warned.

She was quick to oblige.

*****

Nathan groaned as he rubbed his face. He tried to brush whatever it was that was tickling his cheek away, but it persisted. "What the…?" He opened his eyes and promptly rolled them. "What in the hell is this?" he asked, grabbing the pink feather from his brothers hand.

Lucas shrugged. "It probably came from one of Laney's princess dresses," he guessed. Lucas handed Nathan a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Nathan said, taking a generous swallow.

Lucas nodded. "So…how's my couch?"

Nathan shrugged as he sat up. "It's OK," he answered.

Lucas sat down on the end where Nathan's feet had just been. "Let me rephrase that," he said. "What are you _doing_ on my couch?" he asked.

Nathan sighed. "My date was a bust, OK?" he confessed angrily. "It was over by 9:30 and I didn't want Haley to hear me getting home so early, so I came here!" he told his brother.

"Haley stayed at Peyton's last night," Brooke said as she breezed into the room in a red silk robe. "Morning, babe," she said to her husband.

"Morning, gorgeous," Lucas replied.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and was gone just as quickly as she'd come in.

"We didn't even hear you come in," Lucas said.

"Yes, well, I'm not surprised," Nathan said in disgust. "I could hear Brooke moaning all the way out here."

"That's like…free porn for ya," Lucas said with a grin. He reached over and gave Nathan a pat on the back. "You're welcome, little brother."

Nathan gave him a dirty look. "I don't know how you didn't wake the girls. Or the dead," he said, and then sighed. "I miss the days of regular sex," he admitted.

"You mean 2003?" Lucas said with a depraved grin.

Nathan picked up the nearest pillow and threw it at his brother.

"Dude!" Lucas said as coffee splashed onto his American Eagle jeans.

Brooke breezed back into the room and gave Nathan the once over. "Haley was right," she said. "You _do_ look yummy." She wrinkled her nose and pointed to his hair. "Well, except for the bed-head."

Nathan sat up straight. "Haley thinks I'm yummy?" he asked eagerly.

"Mmm-hmm," Brooke said sweetly. "And pathetic."

Nathan sighed and then slouched back onto the couch cushions.

"Baby?" Brooke said as she came to stand in front of Lucas. "I'm all out of shampoo," she told him.

"I'll add it to the grocery list," he promised her.

She laughed. "Yeah, the thing is, I need it _now_. And the only place that carries it is Rosalie's, that salon across town."

"Brooke—"

"Well, hurry up!" she told him as she gave his knee a pat. "The girls will be up soon and they're gonna wanna eat. And you know _I_ can't cook." And just like that, she was out of the room once again.

Lucas sighed as he stood up.

"Course I don't miss the strings _attached_ to that regular sex," Nathan said as he sat back on the couch and stretched his legs out in front of him. He crossed them at the ankles with a contented sigh. At his brothers' glare, he gave him a smirk and took a sip of his coffee.

_Hey, guys! Sorry it took me so long to update. I'm hoping to wrap this story up in about five chapters and then I have a short sequel that I've started that I'll post. It's probably only going to be 3-5 chapters, but I think you'll really like it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to drop me a review!_


	83. Chapter 83

"So, the date was a bust, huh?" Jake asked that next Tuesday as the three guys were walking out of their last practice before Thanksgiving break.

Nathan shot Lucas a dirty look. "You have a _big_ mouth," he said by way of rebuking his brother.

Lucas shrugged. "I didn't think it was a big secret. Except from Haley," he muttered.

"So, what went wrong?" Jake asked.

"Well, I can't be sure, but I think it all started when I said yes," Nathan said sarcastically.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Lucas asked confused.

"She asked me out. I said yes," Nathan said. "_That's_ what I'm talking about. "

"I thought _you_ asked _her _out!" Lucas said.

"Hell, no," Nathan said.

"Well, that's a horse of a different color!" Lucas said.

"Why?" Nathan asked. "What difference does _that_ make?"

"Brooke thinks you went out with this chick to make Haley jealous," Luke said.

"Make Haley _jealous_?" he asked incredulously. "I didn't even want her to know I _had_ a date!"

"Then why didn't you lie to her when she asked where you were going?" Jake asked, puzzled.

"How you landed a wife, I'll never know," Nathan said. He poked Lucas with his index finger. "And if _your_ wife hadn't let cheering practice out early that day, _I_ wouldn't even be in this conundrum!"

"So, why _did _you say yes?" Lucas asked.

"It doesn't matter," Nathan said dismissively.

"Right," Lucas said. "Except here's the thing. It actually _does_ matter. Like I said, Brooke thinks you went out on this date to make Haley jealous. _I_ know better. You wouldn't date anyone _other_ than Haley." Lucas shook his head. "You're true blue, little brother."

"I don't want to talk about it," Nathan said.

"Yeah, well, I do!" Lucas shot back. "Talk to me."

Nathan lifted his hand to his head and started rubbing his temples. He stood like that for a minute and then straightened with a sigh. "Not here," he said.

"The café?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shook his head. "Haley picked up the afternoon shift," he explained.

"Then where?" Jake asked.

"Nathan," Lucas said firmly. "What in the hell is going on?"

"We'll meet at my dad's house," Nathan said. "Just in case Haley gets home early from work."

Lucas nodded. "We'll ride together," he said.

Nathan nodded in agreement and the three of them piled into Lucas' vehicle.

*****

They'd been in the living room at Dan's and Deb's for a good five minutes and Nathan still hadn't said a word. Lucas was getting impatient. He watched as Nathan, sitting on the couch, rubbed the palms of his hands on the knees of his jeans. Jake was standing with one shoulder leaning against the door frame and Lucas was on the other side of the coffee table standing across from his brother.

"Would you just say something already?" Lucas exploded, throwing his hands in the air. God, he felt like Brooke.

Jake jumped at his tone and Nathan took a deep breath. "I had a message on my cell phone a few weeks ago from Lauren," he said.

Lucas straightened and forced himself to even out his tone. "What?"

"How did she get your number?" Jake asked, coming further into the room.

"I have _no_ idea," Nathan said.

"Well, what did she want?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shrugged. "I have _no _idea," he repeated. "She left her number and I never called her back."

"Probably not the best time," Jake said, "But…what does that have to do with your date?" he asked, confused.

Nathan sighed. "Her name is Kalen. I met her _once_ when we were in high school. Lauren went through men so often that…Kalen doesn't even remember me. She's Lauren's cousin," he explained. "She lives about three hours from here. She just transferred this year. The only reason I even recognized her was because there was a picture of her and Lauren on Laurens window sill when we were younger. I knocked it over every time I snuck into Laurens' room and she'd throw a fit until I picked it up and put it back in its exact spot. I was gonna try and get her to bring up Lauren somehow, but I couldn't do it."

Lucas nodded. "You OK?" he asked.

Nathan shook his head. "Not really. I mean, what the fuck does she _want_? This is _classic _fuckin' Lauren!" he said, his voice rising. "_Every _time Maddie and I get comfortable, she finds some way to screw it all up!"

"It doesn't matter what she wants, Nathan," Lucas reminded him. "She renounced all parental rights to Maddie. Dad paid for a top notch lawyer. I'm sure the papers are rock solid!"

"Don't you get it, Lucas?" Nathan said urgently. "It doesn't matter whether there are papers or not! Lauren can come in and fuck up our lives just by being here!"

Jake scoffed. "I get _that,_" he said, an image of Nikki materializing in his head.

"When is it gonna end?" he asked. "Is my kid gonna suffer forever because of her fucked up mother?"

"I hope not," Lucas said softly. "Well, this explains your mood lately."

Nathan ignored his brothers' comment. "And now I'm so pissed off at Haley, because I _really_ want to talk to her about all of this, but I can't!"

"Why can't you?" Jake asked.

"Well, let's see," Nathan said, holding up his index finger. "Reason number one, _she's _giving _me_ the silent treatment now."

Lucas and Jake exchanged glances.

"Oh, yeah!" Nathan said. "She says she wants to just be friends with me, but now she's mad at me because she thinks I'm dating someone else."

"And…reason number two?" Jake asked, almost afraid of his friends' answer.

Nathan sighed, extending his middle finger next to his pointer. "For _years_, it was just Maddie and me. And then I met Haley, and I invited her into our family. And that wasn't easy for me to do. So, she comes in, then she leaves, then she comes into my hotel room in California and talks me into sleeping with her--"

Lucas interrupted Nathan with a stern look.

"OK, so she didn't have to try very hard to do _that_," Nathan conceded. "And then she comes back here to school and goes out of her way to stay away from me!" he said.

"Until you strong arm her into moving in with you," Lucas pointed out.

"It was for her own good," Nathan muttered.

"Just like breaking up with her so she'd go on tour was for her own good?" Jake asked.

"Who in the hell _are_ you two, the memory men?" he asked.

"Nathan," Lucas said. "We've been over this and over this…and over this! She wanted you. And you wanted her gone."

"Yeah, well I don't want her gone anymore, dammitt!"

"She's not gone," Lucas said, in a voice that was almost pleading.

"Well, I don't want her sleeping in my damn basement, either! I want her with me!"

"Here's an idea," Lucas said, clearly fed up with the subject. "Stop fuckin' talking to me about it and tell her!"

"It's complicated," Nathan said.

"Yes, I'm sure it is, Nathan. Over a years worth of complications. Here's the thing, though. I'm done listening to you go on and on about Haley. It's pathetic. Let's talk some more about Lauren. Are you going to call her back?" he asked.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm hoping she'll go away," he said.

"And if she doesn't?" Jake asked.

"I'll deal with it when the time comes," he said.

"Is that why you let Maddie go with Dad and Deb for Thanksgiving?" Lucas asked. "Were you afraid Lauren would show up?"

"A little," Nathan said. "But, it's more likely that Lauren just called to try and scare me. She's done it before," he said.

"I know," Lucas said. "And she knows that Maddie is the only way to get to you. I think you're right. Wait it out."

Nathan nodded.

"Are we all set, then?" Lucas asked.

"Unless you want to talk about Haley some more," Nathan said with a grin.

"Are you _looking _for my fist?" Lucas asked.

"Are you _looking _to get your ass kicked?" Nathan shot back.

Jake rolled his eyes as they made their way to Lucas' vehicle.

*****

"Are you kidding me?" Peyton asked. "Why would she just call him after all of this time?"

Jake shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "It makes me think about Jenny, though. And how lucky we are that Nikki signed the papers renouncing her rights when she did. She can try to screw with us, but she can only do so much now that she's not Jenny's mother anymore. I'll tell ya, Peyton," Jake said, "for _years_ I tried to get her to sign those papers. I don't know what finally changed her mind, but I'm so thankful that she did."

"Jake—" Peyton said softly.

He looked up at Peyton. "What is it?" he asked, noticing her chewing on her lower lip. It was a tell-tale sign that she was nervous.

"There's something I have to tell you," she said. "And I—I think you're gonna be mad at me."

"What is it?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "Do you remember last Christmas Eve?"

Jake nodded with a wince. "We were at Karen's," he said, remembering the evening very clearly. He'd broken up with Peyton not long before that night.

"Yeah. Well, we weren't the only ones there," she told him.

He looked at her questioningly.

"I needed to get away from you," she explained. "So I went outside to get some fresh air. And Nikki was there."

"What?" Jake asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to know," she told him.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because she wanted to see Jenny," Peyton told him.

"But she never came in to see her," Jake said confused.

Peyton nodded. "Right," she said softly.

"Peyton…" Jake said his eyes full of questions.

"Jake, I gave Nikki ten thousand dollars to sign those papers," she said in a rush.

"What?!?!"

"I knew what she was like and I knew that Jenny would be better off without her, and I knew that_ you_ would be, too!"

"Where in the _hell_ did you get ten thousand dollars?" Jake asked.

"From my mom's life insurance policy," Peyton said. "She and my dad decided that he'd pay off the house and her funeral with it, and then whatever was left over would come to me."

Jake stood there for a minute just staring at her.

"Jake, say something!" she begged. "I know you're mad at me, but I did what I thought I had to do to protect you and Jenny! I couldn't just stand by and—"

Jake's hand flew out and took hold of her wrist, pulling her to him. She came crashing against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "Thanks for loving my kid," he said, sobbing into her hair. "Even when you didn't love me."

"Oh, Jake," she whispered, hugging him back. "I've _always_ loved you."

*****

Nathan stood in the window of the living room staring at Haley's taxi in the driveway. She hadn't even asked him to take her to the airport. Thanksgiving was two days away, and he wasn't spending it with her _or_ with Maddie. He looked up as she walked into the living room with her suitcase rolling along behind her. "I hope you have a good Thanksgiving," she told him. It was the first time she'd spoken to him in days.

"Thanks," he said, not moving from his spot. "You, too."

She nodded. "Thanks," she said pulling her coat out of the closet and putting it on. She was reaching for the door handle when Nathan sprung into action.

"You know what?" he said, grabbing her elbow and pulling her away from the door. He shook his head. "No." Lucas was right; it was time to stop talking in circles and take some action.

Haley's eyes widened in shock at his outburst. This was something new.

He let go of her and took a deep breath, then ran his hands through his hair. He put his hands on his hips. For his own peace of mind, it was ultimatum time. "If you want me to wait for you, Haley, if you think that someday you'll be ready to try it with me again, then for Gods sake give me some kind of a sign! You tell me you don't want me, but then you steal my last name! I go out on _one_ date with someone else and I get nothing but the silent treatment from you! What do you want from me, Haley? Spell it out for me!" he demanded.

*****

That was Haley's undoing. For her, angry, passionate Nathan had always been hot Nathan. She took the step that separated them and threw her arms around his neck, letting her body fall into his. She took a deep breath, inhaling his masculine scent. "I want you to wait for me," she whispered into his neck. "I know it's not fair, and I know it's already _been_ a long wait. But if you could just wait a little longer…" she couldn't finish her sentence, so she pulled back instead. She studied his face, but his expression gave nothing away. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "And if that's not enough of a sign for you…"She stood on her tip-toes and lifted her face to his, her lips brushing his ever so softly. When he didn't move, she lifted one of her hands to the back of his head and pulled him closer to her. His lips opened slowly beneath hers and she swept her tongue inside of his mouth. He finally lifted his arms to her waist and pulled her against him, the taste of her making him want even more. He'd forgotten how sweet she was. He felt her jump when the taxi driver honked the horn and she pulled away.

She didn't dare look him in the eyes, so she grabbed the bar on her suitcase and reached for the doorknob. He stepped in front of her to stop her once again and reached for her chin. He lifted her face, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I'll wait for you," he promised, and lifting her hand to his mouth, he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Haley nodded dumbly, and had taken one step out the door when a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Did you kiss her?" she asked softly, without turning back around.

"Didn't even notice if she had lips," he said solemnly.

He could still hear her laughing as he shut the door behind her. He stood in the window watching until the tail lights from her taxi disappeared.


	84. Chapter 84

The first thing Haley did when she got off the plane was turn her cell phone on. She grinned when she saw that she had a text message from Nathan. _Still waiting…_flashed on the screen when she opened her phone.

Haley bit her lower lip as she hit the reply button. _It won't be long, I promise, _she typed back, and then tapped the send key. She closed her phone and slipped it into her jacket pocket, then made her way to baggage claim. She was standing there waiting for her suitcase when she heard an unmistakable screech behind her. She spun around and let out a screech of her own. "Quinn!" she said excitedly, rushing over to her sister. They immediately had their arms around each other squeezing tightly. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm staying with Taylor until she has the baby," her older sister said, as they pulled apart.

"Oh, my God! Why didn't she tell me you were here?" Haley wanted to know. She slapped her sister on her arm. "Why didn't _you_ tell me you were here?"

Quinn grinned. "Oh, you know me," she teased. "I never plan anything. I'm a fly by the seat of my pants type of gal. Taylor didn't know I was coming until I got here."

Haley laughed. "Standard Quinn," she joked. "You look great!"

"Thank you," Quinn said, twirling for her sister. "Marriage is agreeing with me."

Haley lifted one eyebrow. "Then your husband must be, too," she said dryly. It was a running joke in the family that Quinn never stopped until she got her own way.

Quinn laughed at that. "He _does_ spoil me," she admitted, then looped her arm through Haley's as they made their way to baggage claim. "What color suitcases are we looking for?" Quinn asked.

"Beige," Haley told her.

*****

Brooke put her hands on her hips and studied Nathan's face. They'd just finished having supper and he'd been different throughout the entire meal. "Something's changed," she said, resting a finger thoughtfully on her chin.

Nathan shrugged. "I can't imagine what," he told her nonchalantly.

She gave him her best glare. "Your date went better than you said it did, didn't it? Did you hook up?" she asked.

"Brooke, honey, I don't think that's any of our business," Lucas said warningly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She shook it off and continued to stare at Nathan. "Did you?" she demanded.

Nathan laughed. "No, Brooke. I did _not_ hook up," he assured her. "I woke up on your couch, remember?"

"Then _what _is it?" she repeated.

"I don't know," he lied, heading for the table. If Brooke didn't know about him and Haley, well, he wasn't going to be the one to tell her. He wanted to keep it to himself for a little bit. Let his sister in law wonder. It might be fun for a while. He grabbed his jacket off the back of one of the chairs and put it on. "Thanks for supper," he said. "Brooke, you did a great job phoning in the order, as usual," he praised her. If there was one thing he knew about his brothers' wife, it was that she was high maintenance, and the more compliments she received, the better!

Brooke sighed and decided to give her brother in law a reprieve. "Yes, well, I do know the best restaurants in town that happen to deliver," she said. "Do you want me to pack you up some leftovers?" she asked.

Nathan shook his head. "No, I'd probably not even eat them and then forget to throw them away. It would be kind of hard to explain to Maddie why there was unhealthy food in the fridge."

"You think she hasn't eaten Chinese before?" Brooke said with a laugh.

"Well, of course she has. But when we have it together, we order it with no MSG," he explained. "I don't want her eating any of that crap."

Brooke looked at Lucas. "Where in the hell did he _come_ from?" she asked.

Lucas shook his head. "I'm afraid we may never know," he teased.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" Brooke asked. "You don't have to go home to an empty place," she told him.

"Thanks for the invite, but if I get too comfortable, you might start to ask more questions," he ribbed.

"I promise I won't," she said.

He shook his head. "It's OK. I think I might stop and get an R rated movie just because I can," he said.

Brooke smiled at him. "OK. Have a good night, Nate."

He nodded. "I will. Bye guys. Bye, Laney!" he called to his niece. She'd disappeared after supper and he hadn't seen her since.

"Bye, Uncle Nathan!" she returned.

Nathan walked out the front door and closed it behind him, but not before he heard Brooke say, "Lucas Eugene Scott, if you know something I don't, you had _better_ start talking!"

Nathan chuckled as he made his way to his vehicle.

*****

"Tay?" Haley called as she came through the front door.

"In here!" her sister yelled back.

Haley took her coat off and threw it on the chair nearest the door. "This Maine weather is brutal!" she complained with a shiver.

Quinn shook her head as she followed Haley to find Taylor. "Wow. North Carolina has really made you soft," she said.

"I'm not gonna argue with that," Haley said, walking into the den. "Hey," she said softly when she saw Taylor. "Look at your belly! When are you gonna pop, anyway?" she teased, sitting down on the couch and kissing Taylor on the cheek.

Taylor sighed. "Hopefully any day now. They have me on bed rest!" she complained.

"Why didn't you call me?" Haley asked.

"For what?" Taylor said. "Were you going to give me a different diagnosis than the doctor?"

Haley tilted her head to the side. "Tay, why are you on bed rest?"

Taylor wrinkled her nose. "Because my blood pressure is too high," she said with a sigh. "Which…whatever! If it's so high, why can't they just induce me?"

"I forgot to mention that she's just a bit testy," Quinn said.

"Just a tad," Haley agreed.

Taylor gasped. "You're back with Nathan!" she said knowingly.

"What?" Haley said, looking away from her sister.

"You are!" she said, sticking a finger in her sisters' face. "Haley James, don't you lie to me! All I've had for the last two weeks is daytime television and the game show network! I've watched people's faces when they've lied and when they've tried to bluff! You have a secret."

Haley sighed. "How in the hell do you do that?" she asked.

"It's sister's intuition," she explained.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Quinn said, shedding her coat. She flopped down onto the other end of the couch, Taylor in between her and Haley. "Who is _Nathan?"_

"He's my roommate," Haley said dismissively.

"Who she lost her virginity to!" Taylor said with a wave of her hand.

"Tay!" Haley said exasperated.

"What? When you guys get married it's not like no one's gonna know you're having sex. And from the looks of him, _good_ sex."

Haley ignored that last comment. She wasn't about to argue with fact. "Who says we're going to get married?" she asked, addressing the former.

"Please," Taylor said. "You waited until you were 21 to give it up. Like you're not gonna marry the guy!"

"You're just full of secrets, aren't you, Baby James?" Quinn said accusingly, using the name she'd given Haley as a child.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what does _that_ mean?"

"Well," said Quinn in a way that reminded Haley of the cat that ate the canary, "I'm _so_ glad you asked." She pulled out her cell phone and after punching a few buttons, music began to fill the air.

Haley immediately recognized the song. "How did you…"

"_I_ didn't tell her, I swear!" Taylor said.

"You_ knew_?" Quinn asked in disbelief.

"Well, yes," Taylor said. "Haley tells me everything. Well, _almost _everything," she corrected herself, glowering at Haley. "Why didn't you tell me about Nathan?" she asked in a raised tone.

"If you can't find the James' girls, then follow the arguing," Taylors husband said jokingly as he poked his head in the den. "How ya feeling?" he asked, looking at his wife.

She pouted in a way that made both of her sisters roll their eyes. "Swollen," she complained.

He gave her a wink. "Won't be long now," he said.

"I hope not!" she said.

"How are you, Haley?" he asked.

She nodded. "Good," she said. "You?"

"Good," he told her. "Have you worked things out with that Nathan fellow yet?" he asked.

Haley looked at Taylor accusingly. "Is your life so boring that you have to talk about mine?' she asked.

Taylor sighed. "I _told _you all I have is daytime television," she said, and then looked at her husband. "And she's not talking about Nathan. Apparently it's some big secret," Taylor said exaggeratedly.

"Do you have any alcohol?" Haley asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oooh! Good idea," Quinn said.

"Honey, can you grab the bottle of wine your mother brought for Easter that we never got a chance to use and two glasses please?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm on it," he said, blowing her a kiss on the way out of the room.

Haley sighed and got ready for the onslaught of questions she was sure were to come. "OK, what's first? Nathan or the song?"

"_Who_ is Nathan?" Quinn asked again.

"Remember last year on New Years Eve?" Quinn asked.

"How could I forget?" Quinn asked with a grin. "You called me the next day and told me you had to bail some guy out of jail for…_that's_ Nathan?" she asked.

Taylor nodded.

"The guy that went to jail for punching Drew's lights out? Oh, I like him!" Quinn said excitedly.

Taylors nodding got more enthusiastic. "Tell her what he said to you after you started dating that other guy!" she said.

"What are you talking about?" Haley asked.

"What he said to you, in front of all the other cheerleaders?" Taylor reminded her.

Haley sighed. "I had gone out with another guy and Nathan found out and the next time the three of us were all in the same vicinity, Nathan said…" her voice trailed off. "God, Tay! I can't even say it out loud!"

Taylor pursed her lips and then, "He said he could still feel himself inside of her!" she said quickly.

Quinn nodded appreciatively, "A fighter _and_ dirty. Nice!"

Haley's face reddened. "I'm never telling you anything again," she said to Taylor.

"Yes, you will," Taylor said with a grin.

"Here we are," Tyler said as he came into the room with the bottle of wine and two glasses.

He set the corkscrew on the top of the wine bottle. "Let me just—"

"Honey," Taylor said, "Trust me when I tell you that you just want to drop off the goods and go!" she cautioned.

"Thanks for the warning!" he said, swiftly leaving the room.

"So, now that we've established that Nathan's the jail guy, how about the other thing?" Quinn asked. "The song? Why didn't you tell anyone about it? Besides Taylor."

Haley sighed. "It's really not that big of a deal," she said. "This guy found me on campus and asked me to record the song with him. He acted like it was no big deal while we were in the studio and he didn't even think it was going to make it on the record, but it did."

"And he asked her to go on tour with him, too," Taylor said. "She said no, but Nathan thought she should go so he broke up with her at the end of last school year because he didn't want her to miss out on the opportunity because of him. Isn't that sweet?" Taylor asked.

"Yes," Quinn said sarcastically. "It's always sweet when a man thinks a woman can't make up her own mind. And…did you say that all in one breath?"

Haley laughed and Taylor gave Quinn a dirty look.

"And that's why she ended up here for the summer," Taylor finished.

"Well, now that the song is a big hit, what are you going to do?" Quinn asked.

Haley shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to do anything," she said.

"Well, did you get paid to sing on the song?" Quinn asked.

Haley nodded.

"Are you getting royalties?"

"I…haven't," Haley said.

"You need to check into that," Quinn said, putting her lawyer hat on.

"OK," Haley said.

"I'm not kidding, Haley! I don't want you to get screwed out of what you deserve."

"OK!" Haley said, more forcefully this time.

Quinn nodded in satisfaction. "So, you lost your virginity," she said with a grin. "I want details!"

Haley let out a groan. It was going to be a long four days.


	85. Chapter 85

Haley nearly ran off the plane that following Sunday when it finally landed in North Carolina. She never thought she'd be so happy for vacation to end. Her sisters had interrogated her that entire first night and intermittently throughout the rest of her trip. But thankfully she'd gotten her Christmas miracle early this year—neither one of her sisters had asked her about the name change that the disc jockeys on the radio had been using. She sighed in relief and made the familiar trip to baggage claim. She couldn't wait to get home.

She was standing there waiting when her phone beeped. She pulled it out of her pocket and opened it, reading the text from Brooke. _Have you landed yet?_

Haley hit the reply button and was texting her friend back when a pair of little hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?" came a little girls voice.

Haley smiled. "Madelyn Camilla Scott?" she answered, spinning around.

Maddie started laughing. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.

Haley laughed in return. "Just a lucky guess," she said to the little girl, leaning in and rubbing her nose against Maddie's. Then she lifted her gaze to Nathan's. "Hey," she said softly, straightening.

"Hey, yourself," he replied in the same tone. He followed it up with a wink, and then he smirked at her.

Haley tried like crazy not to blush, but was pretty sure she didn't succeed.

"Did you have a good visit, Haley?" Maddie asked.

Haley caught herself before she groaned aloud or shuddered. She didn't want to have to explain _that_ to Nathan. "It was a great visit," she said. It was only a half-lie. She _had_ had fun with Taylor and Quinn. "Two of my sisters were there and I got to spend some time with them."

Maddie gave a heavy sigh. "I hope _I_ have a sister someday," she said, then brightened. "Maybe you and my Daddy could give me one!"

Haley bit back a grin and Maddie's gaze flew to her father's face and she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a sweet grin. "We'll see," he said to appease her, hoping she'd drop the subject.

Maddie gave a satisfied smirk, one that looked suspiciously like her fathers, and brought her triumphant gaze to Haley's deer in the headlights one. Leave it to Maddie. Haley cleared her throat. "There's my suitcase!" she said, probably a little too eagerly, running over to the belt.

"Daddy," Maddie said in what was supposed to be a whisper. "You really should get that for her."

Nathan laughed. "I think you're right," he said, putting his daughter down and taking her hand. They walked over to Haley and he took the handle on her luggage. "Let me get that for you," he said. The three of them began walking out of the airport when Maddie started up the conversation again. "Daddy's going to let us stop for pizza!" she said excitedly, taking her free hand and seizing Haley's. "And guess what, Haley?"

"What?" Haley asked in an animated tone, her eyes shining as she looked down at the little girl.

"He told me I could get pepperoni!" she said, with a squeal. "Just like you let me have!"

Haley felt Nathan's gaze on her face and had to bite back a grin. _Busted,_ she thought, not saying a word. _It was so good to be home._

*****

Maddie had fallen asleep on the way home from the pizza place, and as soon as Nathan had disappeared up the stairway to put her in her pajamas and then to bed, Haley had practically flown down into the basement. She had to force herself not to lock her bedroom door behind her. Thoughts that hadn't occurred to her yet were suddenly popping up like tulips in the spring. So, were she and Nathan full blown back on track again? And if they were, now that they'd had sex, were they going to start having it all the time? These were really thoughts that she should have been thinking back in Maine when she would have had time to sort through them, but Quinn and Taylor had kept her so busy she hadn't had a chance to. Now she was in panic mode."Breathe, Haley," she said, trying to coach herself through the moment. She put her suitcase on her bed and began taking care of her clothes. No dirty laundry for her at the end of the trip. The ever organized Quinn had all of her sisters' laundry done before she'd had to leave for the airport that morning.

She was hanging a pair of dress pants in her closet when there was a knock on her door. It opened just a crack and Nathan poked his head in. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course," she said with a shrug, concentrating on where she was putting the pants in her closet.

He came in and moved the suitcase off her bed, sitting down on it. He kicked his sneakers off and climbed on, his back against the headboard with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed at the ankles. He studied Haley as she very carefully moved the pants around and avoided his gaze. He couldn't help but grin. "Hales?"

"Yeah?" she said quickly, still not turning around.

"I think that's perfect pants placement," he said, his voice teasing.

"Right," she said with a nod, finally turning around. She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. He suddenly realized she was nervous, so he decided to take the reins. "I missed you," he said quietly.

"I missed you, too," she said.

He grinned at her. "Then why are you all the way across the room?" he asked.

"I…I don't know," she said shyly. She started walking slowly over to him, and when she was within reach, he reached for her hand and tugged her down next to him on the bed. She lay down beside him and put her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "So, Thanksgiving was kind of a bust this year," he told Haley.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, Maddie was with my Mom and Dad, you were in Maine, and I ate with Lucas, Brooke, Laney, and Brooke's parents," he said. "And you are _never_ going to believe this," he said, already laughing.

"What?" she asked, lifting her head so she could see his face.

"As it turns out, _Brooke_ is the cook in the family," he said ironically.

"You're kidding," Haley said with a grin.

Nathan shook his head. "I wish," he said.

"So, what did you have for Thanksgiving dinner?" she asked.

"Turkey," he said dryly. "Sandwiches."

Haley giggled. "You guys had turkey sandwiches for dinner?"

He nodded, and Haley sighed. She lifted a hand to his chest and put her chin on it, still able to see his face. "Tyler made Turkey with all the trimmings," she told him.

"Lucky you," Nathan said, his mouth watering at the thought of turkey and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy.

"Oh, yeah. Lucky me," she said. "All we could do for the rest of the day was lie on the couch. Tyler went all out. He made apple pie and pecan pie. And—you know, we all, _of course,_ had to have a piece of each pie, or Tyler's feelings would be hurt."

"Really?" Nathan said amused.

Haley shook her head. "No. Not really. Taylor wanted to eat a piece of each, and she made that excuse so that she could. Apparently, she needs company when she eats."

Nathan laughed. "How is she feeling?" he asked.

"Did I tell you she's on bed rest?" Haley asked.

Nathan shook his head.

"Well, she is. So I spent most of my vacation in the den with her and her temporary bed. And Quinn."

Nathan laughed and she could feel the vibration against the hand that was resting on his chest. "And here I thought you were in Maine living it up without me," he teased.

Haley shook her head and forced herself to hold his gaze. "I couldn't wait to get home to you," she told him truthfully.

Nathan growled and reached down, grasping her upper arms. He hauled her body up his until they were face to face. "Welcome home, Hales," he said, as his mouth came up to meet hers. He felt her whimper before he heard it, and it was enough to drive him crazy. He managed to flip them so that he was on top of her— all without breaking the kiss. He lifted his hand and untucked the tank top beneath her shirt. He splayed his fingers over her bare abdomen and felt her shiver beneath his touch. He deepened the kiss, running his tongue roughly along the seam of her lips. As soon as her mouth opened, he thrust his tongue inside in search of hers. As soon as she reciprocated, Nathan felt his control slip. He pulled away as if he'd been burned and sat up so that he was straddling her. He looked down at her and saw that her lips were swollen from their kiss. He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, then jumped up off the bed. He started backing away towards the door.

Haley lifted herself up onto her elbows. "Wha…? Where are you going?" she asked in confusion.

"Away," he snapped, his breathing ragged. "While I can."

Haley grinned as she realized he was trying to get a grip on his desire. "You better run before I chase you," she said with a sexy grin.

And he did.

*****

"So, do you think he's gonna start dating on a regular basis now?" Brooke asked Peyton as they were sitting in one of the upper corners of the library. Brooke had followed Peyton, claiming she was going to study, but Peyton knew better. Brooke wanted some good, old fashioned girl time where they could gossip. About Haley and Nathan. Again.

"I don't know, Brooke," Peyton said. She really didn't get a lot of time away from Jenny and Jeyton, not that she was complaining, but she needed to use her time wisely. And right now, she needed to study. "And right now, I don't care. I really have to study, OK?"

Brooke nodded and sat back on the couch with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Maybe we should find someone to hook Haley up with," she thought out loud.

"Brooke!" Peyton scolded.

"Peyton, if you didn't want me to talk, then you really shouldn't have invited me to study with you," Brooke said.

Peyton threw her hands up in exasperation. "_You _invited yourself," she said.

Brooke gave her a dirty look. "Well, it was rude of you not to invite me," she snapped.

Peyton sighed and shut her book. It was no use trying to reason with Brooke when she went into plotting mode.

"Did you have anyone in particular in mind?" she asked.

Brooke shook her head. "No," she said with a frown. "The only single man I know is Nathan! This is awful," she said, shaking her head. "If we were in L.A., I'd have a list a mile long of single men who I could set her up with."

"But you wouldn't have Lucas," Peyton reminded her.

"You're right," Brooke said, scrunching up her nose and grinning. "Tree Hill wins."

Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Well, have you seen her? She looks so sad all the time!" Brooke said.

Peyton nodded. "I know," she agreed. "Ever since things ended with her and Nathan, she's been so down."

"Yeah," Brooke said, "and—"

"Hey," Haley said breathlessly as she sat down in an empty chair around the study circle. "I got your text," she told Brooke. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering how your trip to Maine was," Brooke said. "I haven't heard from you since before you left."

Haley shrugged. "It was good." She jumped to her feet. "I have to go, though. I have an appointment. Unless there was something else?"

"No, that was it," Brooke said.

"OK. See you later!" And with that, Haley left.

"OK," Peyton said puzzled. "Is it just me, or was she actually _glowing_?" There was a short pause. "Did I _miss_ something?"

Brooke gasped. "She's seeing someone!"


	86. Chapter 86

"Who put the spring in _your _step?" Lucas asked the next day as Nathan approached him and Jake at the park. It was play date day for the girls so they could spend some time together.

"There's not a spring in my step," Nathan said evasively as he let go of Maddies' hand and watched her run for the swings, where Jenny and Laney were.

"You could have fooled me," Lucas muttered.

"I'm just glad that Maddie is home," he explained.

Lucas nodded as Nathan sat down next to him. "Have you heard from Lauren lately?" he asked.

Nathan shook his head. "Not a peep. In true Lauren style, she called and then never bothered to tell me _why_ she did on my voicemail."

"Aren't you curious?" Jake asked.

Nathan shook his head. "I have my kid and that's all I'm worried about," he said, as his eyes found Maddie on the swings. She smiled and waved at him.

"Daddy! Watch how high I can go!" she yelled.

"I'm watching," he hollered back as he got comfortable on the bench.

"I have to give you credit," Lucas said. "You're holding it together pretty well. There was a time when you would have freaked out about Lauren calling you."

"I know," Nathan agreed. "But Maddie is five years old now. No judge in his right mind would ever let Lauren near her. And...you were right the other day. She can't hurt us anymore."

Jake nodded and then, "You guys aren't gonna believe this," he told them, capturing both of their attention. He looked at Lucas. "Nikki was at your moms house last Christmas Eve," he said.

"I don't remember seeing her," Lucas said.

"That's because she never made it through the front door," he said. "Peyton went outside for a few minutes, and that's when she came."

Nathan grinned. "Did Peyton kick the shit out of her?" he asked. It wouldn't have surprised him.

Jake laughed. "Not so much," he said, his expression sobering. "She gave Nikki ten-thousand dollars to sign the papers renouncing her parental rights."

"What?" Nathan asked.

Jake nodded exuberantly. "Yeah," he said.

Nathan shook his head. "That's--"

"That's when you were being a _dick_ to her," Lucas interrupted.

Jake sighed. "I wasn't being a dick to her."

Lucas and Nathan glared at him.

"So I was kind of a dick to her," he conceded.

"Kind of?" Lucas asked. "You knocked her up and _then_ you broke up with her!"

Jake held up a hand. "OK, in my defense, I didn't know she was knocked up!" he said. He looked down at Jeyton and nearly shuddered at the thought of almost losing him. If Peyton hadn't come home…well, he hated to think about it. He reached down and picked up his sleeping baby boy, placing him gently on his chest. He was careful to tuck the blanket in around him during this crisp weather. "In the future, it would be nice if I could know about shit on Jake days in advance so I could prepare myself," he said dryly.

"Hey, I'm not judging," Nathan said. "I'm the one who lied to Haley and broke up with her so she'd go on tour."

Lucas grinned. "Talk about backfiring."

Nathan nodded. "Not the smartest thing I've ever done."

"Boy, this is a pick me up of a conversation," Lucas said with false enthusiasm.

Jake shrugged. "They can't all be good," he said logically.

"Speaking of which," Lucas started, then looked at his brother. "I have some news."

"Oh, yeah?" Nathan said, standing up and holding his hands out for Jeyton. Jake passed him the baby and Nathan sat back down on the bench, situating Jeyton so that he looked to be comfortable. "What's that?" he asked, leaning down and giving the little boy a soft kiss on the top of his head.

Lucas took a deep breath. He hated being the bearer of bad news. "Brooke thinks Haley is seeing someone."

Nathan's eyes flew to his brothers and he forced himself to nod slowly. "Who is she seeing?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Does it matter?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shook his head. "Haley can see whoever she wants to see," he said.

"And it's not gonna bother you?" Lucas pressed.

Again, Nathan shook his head.

Lucas studied his brothers face. "You know, you _actually _look like you're telling the truth," he said. "It doesn't bother you?" he asked in surprise.

"Whoever Haley dates is her own business," he said convincingly. "I have my own stuff to worry about."

Lucas nodded and then dropped the subject.

*****

The door flew open before Haley even made it up the steps and Brooke's arm flew out and whisked her into the house. She heard the door slam, and then Brooke turned to her, ready to pounce like a tiger. "Who is he?" she demanded.

"Who is _who_?" Haley asked.

"Whoever was making you glowing yesterday in the library. Either you're dating, or you're knocked up! And since you haven't had sex in months and aren't showing, it leaves the dating theory."

Haley gently pushed Brooke away from her, laughing. "It's neither," she assured her friend. "I just feel so…refreshed after being on vacation." She shrugged. "That's all."

"I don't believe you," Brooke said dramatically.

Haley looked up as she heard laughter from the living room. "Thanks for the help, Peyton," she said dryly.

Peyton continued to laugh. "Hey, you're on your own," she said. "I'm sure it won't be long before _I'm _on the receiving end of one of Brooke's interrogations, and I'll need my strength for _that_."

Brooke spun around and Haley used the opportunity to escape into the living room with Peyton. "Why? What did you do?" Brooke demanded, her gaze narrowing on Peyton.

Peyton looked at Haley. "See?" she said dryly.

Brooke came into the living room and sat down on one of the overstuffed chairs, tucking her feet beneath her. "So, what's going on with you?" she pressed.

"I told you. It was so nice to have some time away."

"From us?" Brooke asked in disbelief.

Haley laughed. "Not so much _away _from you as _with_ my sisters," she explained.

Brooke snorted. "What do your sisters have that we don't?" she asked, clearly jealous that Haley had spent time bonding with someone else.

Haley bit her lip to keep from giggling. "You mean besides 21 years worth of memories?" she teased.

Brooke nodded. "Yes, besides that," she said.

"Oh, shoot," Peyton said, looking down at her watch. "I have to go, or I'm going to be late for class!" She jumped up and when she opened the front door, Lucas was walking up the steps with Laney in his arms. She said a quick hello, and then breezed past them to her car.

Haley watched as Lucas took Laney's coat off. Then the little girl raced over to Brooke and jumped up onto her lap. Brooke gave a fake grunt and then squeezed Laney against her. "Did you have fun with your daddy?" she asked.

Laney nodded. "And I got to see Mads and Jenny," she said.

Brooke nodded solemnly. "That sounds exciting."

Haley stood up and said her good-byes. Seeing Brooke with Laney made her want to get home to see Maddie. She made her way to her car and hurried home. She was walking up to the front door when someone fell into step beside her.

"Our song hit number one."

Haley groaned. "Chris Keller," she said with the least amount of enthusiasm possible.

"Actually, it's my song," he said. "I just let you sing on it."

"And all this time I thought the song belonged to Ryan Adams," she said dryly.

"Love that sense of humor!" Chris said, trying for sincerity. He fell flat.

She stopped and turned to face him. "What do you want, Chris?" she asked.

"You," he said, then shrugged. "Well, in a manner of speaking. The record company wants to make a video of the song."

Haley sighed. "There already _is_ a video," she said. "I've seen it."

"Yes," Chris said. "A generic one. But they want one with us. A lot of people are curious about you, Haley _Scott._"

Haley resisted the urge to shove him. "Thanks for _that_," she said crossly.

"Hey, I was just trying to help you out," he said, defending himself. "You were mopey the entire time we were trying to record the song." He shrugged. "I figured that stupid jock had something to do with it, so I decided to speed things up for ya."

Haley gave him a dirty look, but it didn't deter him. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, well all you succeeded in doing was making things awkward. Thanks a lot."

"The Keller does what he can," he said.

"The Keller has a lot to learn," Haley muttered under her breath.

"Now, I've talked to them, and they're willing to wait until Christmas vacation to shoot the video," he said. "Or they're willing to find a place here in Tree Hill to shoot."

"I said no," she said.

"But, Haley, this will be great for your career!" he persisted.

"As a teacher?" she asked shrilly, picking up her pace again and heading for the front door. When she reached it, she put the key in the lock and began to turn it.

"As a singer," he said.

"Chris! No means no!" she said, her impatience growing.

'But Haley--"

She spun around. "The last time you came into my life, Chris, it was turned upside down! Now, maybe that was just a coincidence, but I don't think so!" She sighed. "You really need to go," she said pleadingly. "Please." And with that, she shut the front door in his face. She sagged against the door once she was safely inside and sent up a silent prayer that that was the last she'd see of Chris Keller.


	87. Chapter 87

"I think you should do it," Nathan told her later that night while they were in the kitchen making supper together.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"Haley, the song is a hit. You should be proud of that. And you should get to be a part of it," he told her.

"But…" she sighed. "The last time I went away with Chris—"

"The last time you went away with Chris, it was because I _pushed_ you away," he reminded her. "It was my fault, Haley. It wasn't yours. And as much as I'd like to blame him, it wasn't Chris' fault either."

"I know," Haley said. "But—"

Nathan turned away from the stove and approached Haley, who was sitting on the countertop. He put his hands on her knees and spread her legs so he was able to stand between them. He looked into her eyes, willing her to see the honesty in his. "This time, when you come home, Hales…Maddie and I will be right here waiting for you." He gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"But what if it's not what I want?" she asked quietly, putting her arms loosely around his neck.

"Are you _sure_ it's not what you want?" he asked.

Haley shook her head no.

"Don't you think you owe it to yourself to find out?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said doubtfully. "Or _maybe_ I belong here with you and Maddie." She searched his eyes for confirmation.

"Haley," Nathan said firmly. "You have no idea how much I love hearing you say that, because we _love_ having you here." He gently bumped his forehead against hers. "And we think you belong here, too." He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm not gonna tell you that you _have_ to do this, because I did that once before and it made a big, old mess. I'm just gonna tell you that this is an opportunity…that for most people, never rolls around. Maddie and I are gonna be here until you get sick of us. This possibility isn't. You're unbelievably lucky to even have this chance." He shrugged. "And…it's just a video. It's not a tour. I bet it'll only take a few days to shoot."

"And then what?" she asked.

"Then you're catapulted into superstardom and I'm gonna need a backstage pass to see you," he teased.

She giggled. "Nathan!"

His expression sobered as he lifted his arms to her waist. "Then you come home," he said fiercely, leaning in and closing his mouth over hers. She lifted her hands to his hair, and tightened her knees to hold him in place. She thrust her tongue inside of his mouth, and she felt him stiffen with desire. She made fists with both of her hands, absently tugging on his hair. His mouth left hers and she whimpered, but was satisfied once again when his lips found her neck. She tilted her head to the left to give him easier access and gasped when she felt his tongue flick out and leave a hot trail across her throat.

"Don't you guys do _any_thing besides kiss?" Maddie asked as she came running into the kitchen.

Nathan jumped back and looked down at his daughter. "Hey, Mads," he said raggedly.

"Nice save," Haley said dryly, pursing her lips to keep from laughing.

Nathan looked at his daughter who was on the other side of the now opened refrigerator. Her vision of Haley and him was blocked, so Nathan closed the distance between them, lifting his hands up under her shirt. He quickly ran his thumbs over her nipples and felt them harden beneath his touch. Just as he'd hoped, she let out a surprised yelp and he quickly stepped back with a wink. He walked over to the fridge, holding the door open for Maddie. "What'cha looking for, Mads?" he asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Some soda," she said, moving things around.

"Umm, no," Nathan said, picking his daughter up and turning her around in his arms so they were face to face. "How about some flavored water instead?" he asked.

Maddie wrinkled her nose. "How about some sugar free kool aid?" she negotiated.

Nathan nodded. "Deal," he said, handing her to Haley.

"What were you yelling for, Haley?" Maddie asked as Haley's cheeks began to blaze.

"Yeah, Hales," Nathan said with a sultry grin. "What's with the yelling?"

Haley gave Nathan a dirty look then softened her expression for the little girl. "I almost fell right off this counter!" she lied. She could hear Nathan snickering as he made Maddie his kool aid.

*****

"So, I'm going to New York over Christmas vacation," Haley told Peyton and Brooke the next day.

Brooke gasped. "To shop?" she asked. "Why don't we all go?" She looked at Peyton.

"Umm…because I have kids," Peyton said.

"So you're never going to leave the house again?" Brooke said dryly.

"I'm not going for shopping," Haley said with a shake of her head.

"Then, what are you going for?" Brooke asked, confused. To her, New York meant shopping.

"I'm going to be making a video for Where the Stars Go Blue," she told them.

Peyton was the first to respond. "Haley! That's so great!" she said.

Haley nodded. "Yeah. I think so," she said.

Brooke sat there for a minute. "But…what about that Chris guy? I thought you didn't like him."

Haley sighed. "It's not that I don't like him, I just…associated him with Nathan breaking up with me, and it made me a little bitter," she said honestly.

"Oh, honey," Brooke said softly. "You're not over that yet?"

"No, I _am_," Haley said. "I've…definitely moved on from that."

"So, what about a concept for the video?" Peyton asked. "Do you know what it is yet?"

Haley shook her head. "No. I called Chris last night to tell him that I was interested in doing the video, and he said that with this particular producer, the first day is usually casting, and then the second day is when they start shooting."

Brooke grinned. "You're gonna be like…a _real_ rock star."

"I am _not_ gonna be a rock star," Haley said firmly.

Brooke shrugged. "You never know," she said casually. "This could really work out for you. Haley, you'd get to see the world. And…you wouldn't have to worry about bumping into Nathan ever again. You could swing by when you were in the states and I could whisk Maddie away for a visit with her cool Aunt Haley."

"I…I don't know if I like the thought of that."

"What _are _your plans for after graduation?" Brooke asked.

"I'm not sure," Haley said. Last night, Nathan had hinted at a future with her, and if he was serious, Haley knew she wouldn't be going anywhere.

"I'm just saying that maybe you should consider it," Brooke said.

"Maybe," Haley said noncommittally.

*****

"Hello, little brother," Lucas said as he walked into the kitchen at the beach house.

Nathan leaned out from the kitchen table to peek behind him. "Where's my kid?" he asked.

"Oh, she's fine," Lucas assured him. "She's with my mom."

"OK," Nathan said, confused. "What's going on?"

Lucas took his jacket off and threw it on the back of a chair. Then he turned one around and sat down so he was straddling it. "I was hoping you'd tell me," he said.

"I'm…having a sandwich," Nathan said, pointing to his plate. "Do…you…want one?"

"Oh, no, I'm good," Lucas said, his eyes widening.

"Are you sure?" Nathan asked doubtfully. "Because you look kind of like you're channeling Brooke."

"I'm just getting started."

"OK," Nathan said pushing his plate to the side. "_What_ is going on?"

"So, I overheard our kids talking today," Lucas said.

Nathan nodded. "And…"

"Maddie said you and Haley have been doing an _awful_ lot of kissing lately," he said, eyebrows raised in a scolding manner.

"Dammitt!" Nathan said. "Ratted out by my _own_ kid!"

"So, it's true?" Lucas asked.

"Yes," Nathan said begrudgingly. "It's true."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lucas asked.

Nathan shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "It was kind of fun sneaking around."

"How long have you been back together?" Lucas asked.

"Not that long," Nathan told him.

"Well, why was it a secret?" Lucas pressed.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Because it was fun," he said again, feeling silly for saying it out loud.

"Are you kidding me?"

Nathan sighed. "Don't you have class?"

"Actually, yeah, I do," he said standing up. He gave Nathan a grin. "So…is she as good as you remember?"

Nathan grabbed his plate and pulled it back in front of him. "I'm not answering that," he said.

Lucas shrugged as he headed for the front door. "Whatever. See you later."

Nathan jumped up. "Luke!" he said urgently.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.

"Don't tell Brooke."

"OK," Luke said, walking out and closing the door behind him.

Lucas tried, he really did, and he was very proud of himself, having made it all the way to campus before dialing his wife.

"Hello?" she said into her phone.

"So, if I gave you the juiciest piece of gossip ever, would you do _whatever_ I wanted you to do tonight once the lights went out?" he asked.

Brooke giggled. "Baby," she said. "I'd do that regardless."

"Nice," Lucas said.

"But fill me in anyway," she instructed.

"OK, but you have to swear that you won't tell Haley," he said.

"I give you my word," she told him.

*****

Brooke snapped her phone shut. "So, of course you don't care who Nathan is seeing," she said, looking her friend in the eye.

"Right," Haley said. "It's none of my business. He can see anyone he wants."

Brooke nodded. "Right. So, tell me, Haley. Is he just _seeing_ you or is he _banging_ you, too?"

Haley nearly choked on her water. "What?" she managed to get out.

"That was my _very_ well informed husband," she told her friend. "Did you really think you'd be able to keep anything from us?"

"Well, I had hoped," Haley said dryly.

"Wait a minute," Peyton said. "You and Nathan are back together?"

Haley nodded. "Yes."

"How long have you been back together?" Brooke demanded.

Haley sighed. "We got back together the night I left for Maine," she said.

"I should have known!" Brooke said. "He came over for supper the night after you left and he was all…bright eyed and bushy tailed. I tried to grill him, but he's a master at sidestepping me!" she said.

Peyton turned to Haley. "So, how did it happen?" she asked.

"I guess he just…had had enough and he told me that if I wanted him to wait for me, then he would. But I needed to give him a sign."

"And…" Brooke prompted.

"I kissed him," Haley said.

"Well, was it like, gentle and lovey or was it…"

"Oh, it was hot and bothered," Haley said.

"So," Brooke said. "How is it now that you've been together more than the one time?"

Haley cleared her throat. "We haven't exactly…" she trailed off.

"Well why not?" Brooke insisted.

Haley shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Every time we kiss, when it gets too hot, he pulls back."

"Why on earth would he do that?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know."

"Maybe he feels guilty," Peyton said.

"For what?" Haley asked.

"Well, he did take your virginity," Peyton reminded her.

"Yes, well, I handed it to him on a silver platter. It's not like he had to _ask_ for it," she reminded her friend.

"Yeah, but…to some men, taking a woman's virginity is a big deal. Especially if he loves her."

"Well, I hope that's not it," Haley said with a nervous laugh. "Because that's one subject I'll _never _be able to bring up."


	88. Chapter 88

Brooke and Peyton were deep in conversation, but Haley hadn't heard a word that either one of them had been saying for the last few minutes. She was pondering her own set of circumstances. It had been weeks, and still, nothing from Nathan. Haley knew it was time to voice her worst fear. She sighed, and then put it into words. "What if I'm not good in bed?" she asked softly.

Brooke's and Peyton's eyes flew to her face, their discussion forgotten. Neither said anything for a minute until Brooke cleared her throat. "Haley…ummm…what?" she asked.

Haley straightened and took a deep breath. "What if I'm not good in bed?" she repeated. "What if that's why Nathan hasn't tried to sleep with me again?"

Brooke looked at Peyton and then sat back in her chair, arms held up in front of her. "You're going to have to field this one, P. Sawyer."

"Oh, what? Like I have experience not being good in bed?" she said in disbelief.

"Well, we all know _I'm _fantastic," Brooke said.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Haley, he doesn't think you're horrible in bed."

"How do you know?" Haley asked.

Peyton straightened. "Because if there's one thing I know about men, it's how important a factor sex is. If he didn't think you were good in bed, he would have let you go a _long_ time ago."

Haley frowned. "That makes him sound hard," she said.

Brooke had to bite her lip at her friends' choice of words.

Peyton looked at her. "Oh, grow up!" she snapped.

But Brooke couldn't help it; she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Don't mind her; she and Laney have apparently had a 'Freaky Friday' moment," Peyton said dryly.

Haley lifted an eyebrow. "Really? I thought Laney was the mature one," she teased.

Brooke's phone beeped and she opened it. She sighed as she closed it again, a grin on her face.

"What?" Peyton asked.

"Lucas can't wait to for Laney to stay with Karen and Lily tonight so he can make me scream," she said.

Peyton frowned. "Sorry I asked."

Brooke sat forward so she was on the edge of her chair. "OK, let's recap. You slept with Nathan…_months_ ago, right?"

Haley nodded.

"Right," Brooke confirmed. "And in any given week, Nathan has dozens of women hit on him. But he hasn't had sex since you. You know what that tells me?" she asked.

"What?"

Haley had asked the question, but Peyton was curious as to what her friends' answer would be, too.

"That he's true blue. He wants _you_, Haley. But here's the thing. It's like you've swapped roles in the relationship. He's waiting for everything to be perfect."

"Well, nothing is ever going to be perfect," Haley said miserably.

"Right. Enter Victoria," Brooke said.

Haley gave her a puzzled look.

"And her secret. We need to make a trip to the mall," Brooke informed her friend. "We will get you laid if it's the last thing we do!" she said triumphantly.

A passerby's eyes widened at Brooke's comment.

"Thanks a lot," Haley said.

Brooke laughed. "You need to seduce him."

"I don't know how to do that!" Haley whispered urgently.

"Of course you do. You've done it once before," Peyton reminded her.

"Yes, but I was desperate then," Haley said.

Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Give it a few more weeks," she remarked dryly.

*****

Haley took a quick sip of her water, then picked her pom-poms up and joined in the next cheer. It was the last game before the semester was over, and the Bulldogs were up by a basket. There were only twenty seconds left in the game, and Lucas had just fouled, giving the other team an opportunity to tie the game. The other player rose to the occasion, making both baskets. Lucas took the ball out, and then gave it to Nathan, who passed it back to Lucas when he came inbounds. The two passed their way to the other end of the court, and when one of the other guys saw that Nathan was free, he got the ball to him and Nathan took the shot with three seconds on the clock. The ball circled the rim three times before finally falling through the net, causing pandemonium from the Bulldogs fans. Another win.

Haley grinned at Nathan and he walked over, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before heading back to the bench with his teammates. The girls made their way to the locker room, and changed into their regular clothes, then made their way to back to the auditorium.

Haley saw Peyton with Jenny and Maddie and made her way over to them. "Hey," she said. "Good game, huh?"

Maddie lifted her arms and Haley picked her up. "Daddy scored the winning basket," she said proudly.

"He sure did," Haley agreed. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her, Peyton," Haley said.

"No problem," Peyton said.

"Haley, who is daddy talking to?" Maddie asked, her hands tangling in Haley's hair at the nape of her neck.

Haley scanned the area for a minute before her eyes found Nathan. She frowned. "I'm not sure," she said.

*****

Maddie had taken a bath as soon as they got home and was now fast asleep in her bed. Haley was in the living room flipping through the channels, waiting for Nathan to get home. Her eyelids had just fluttered closed when she heard the front door unlock. Her eyes opened just as Nathan walked in, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she returned with a yawn.

He hung his coat by the door and then walked over to the couch and plopped down next to Haley, giving her a soft kiss. "So…what do you think of New York?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It's OK," she said, then grinned. "But it's no Tree Hill."

He nodded. "Right. But the Knicks…are based in New York," he said.

Haley sat up straight. "Was that a scout you were talking to after the game?" she asked excitedly.

"Yep." The grin on his face widened. "For the Knicks. What do you think of _that_?"

"I think it's great," she told him sincerely. "What do _you_ think of that?" she asked.

"I think it's great, too," he admitted. "And I'm trying really hard not to jump to conclusions, but I can't help it. I've wanted to play for the Knicks…for as long as I can remember."

Her eyes brightened. "That's great, Nathan."

He nodded. "They want me to go and check things out over vacation," he told her.

"We'll be in New York at the same time," she told him.

He nodded. "Yep. You know what that means?" he asked.

She wasn't gonna lie. She was hoping it meant that they'd get to be together again.. "What?" she asked timidly.

"I can watch you shoot your video," he said.

She nodded with forced enthusiasm. "That's great."

He nodded. "Yeah. And I can keep that Chris guy away from you," he teased. "Just where he should be."

She laughed at that. "So, there's something I wanted to ask you," she told him.

"What?"

"I know that you'll want to spend Christmas here with Maddie since Santa needs to deliver presents, but I was hoping you guys would come to Maine with me for a few days over vacation."

Nathan grinned at her. "We'd love to," he said.

"You don't want to think about it?" she asked.

"Hmmm…" Nathan said, pretending to think. "Staying in Tree Hill without you or going to Maine _with_ you?" He shook his head. "Nope. Don't need to think about it."

"Good," she said with a grin.

"Can you believe it, Hales? The _Knicks_," he said fiercely. "It's like _everything_ is falling into place."

She nodded. "Right on track."

"Ahead of schedule, even," he told her.

She nodded, her eyes falling to his mouth. She lifted her lips to his and he reached down for her wrist, giving her a gentle tug until she moved onto his lap, straddling him. She deepened the kiss, her tongue plunging into his mouth to search for his. She could taste a hint of coffee, but the rest was all him, and he tasted so good. When his hands reached for the snaps on her shirt, she reached down to help him. He pulled her shirt to the side, his hands finding the clasp on her bra. He opened it and pushed that to the side as well, then pulled his mouth from hers, his lips moving to her neck. She threw her head back to give him better access, and when the pads of his thumbs found her nipples, he heard a sharp intake of breath and felt her knees tighten on his hips. His tongue found one of her breasts, and circled her nipple slowly, and then his teeth were teasing--gently grazing it.

"Nathan!" she said breathlessly, her hands coming up to the back of his head as if to keep him in place. He moved to her other breast, repeating the task even as his hands undid the button on her jeans.

"Up on your knees," he said raggedly, pulling his mouth away from her chest.

Haley complied, lifting herself so she was no longer sitting on his lap. All of her weight was resting on her own knees. Nathan's hand moved past the waistband of her panties and into the soft curls between her legs. Haley's hands fell from his head and she gripped the back of the couch. When his thumb found what it was looking for, he felt her stiffen.

"Nathan," she said again.

He had to tip his head back to rest on the pillow behind him so he could meet her eyes.

She looked down at him, her own filled with desire. He used his thumb to massage her core, and he felt her hips move, trying to get closer to him. Her breasts were right there and he couldn't help but taste them again, his tongue hot and wet as it moved back and forth over her nipple. His thumb continued its own rhythm.

"Nathan," she said, her body stiffening once again.

"Let it go, Hales," he said, replacing his thumb with his first two fingers to quicken his pace. He heard her whimper and felt her knees tighten around his waist once more before her head fell onto his shoulder, her breathing rapid as she sighed in contentment. He lifted his arms so they were around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, the fact that her nipples were still hard not escaping his attention. He could feel them through his shirt. And he was certain she could feel his erection, too.

"Nathan," she said longingly. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," he said.

"Nathan—"

"Daddy!" They heard Maddie yell from the top of the stairs.

Haley scrambled to pull her shirt over her chest while Nathan grinned.

"You OK, Mads?" he yelled.

"You need to tuck me in," she said. "And you might as well bring me a cup of water," she told him. "I'm thirsty."

"Be right up," he said weakly. In one regard, he already _was._


	89. Chapter 89

It had been a year since Nathan's first and only visit with the James clan. He'd forgotten the hustle and bustle that filled the place when they were together. When it was just a few of them, it was crazy, but put another sister and her husband in the mix, and it was complete chaos. And to make matters even more extreme was the fact that Taylor was still on bed rest. She was due to pop any day now, but that didn't help things at this exact moment.

Nathan's parents had come home to Tree Hill for a few weeks to spend some time with Maddie and Laney, and Haley had promptly invited them to Maine for the three days they'd be there. It was a good opportunity for their families to meet and the plan was actually quite perfect, as Maddie could fly back with them while Haley and Nathan went to New York to explore their futures. They'd rented a hotel room, and as soon as Maddie had found out about the pool, she'd decided that she'd spend the night with them. That left Nathan with Haley, a honey blonde temptation that he wasn't sure he'd be able to resist.

He was searching the cluster of people for Maddie when he heard her squeal and then yell excitedly. "I can feel it moving!"

Nathan followed her voice into the den and she was sitting on the makeshift bed next to Taylor, both hands pressing down on her belly. "Careful," he said from the doorway.

"I can't hurt the baby, Daddy," she said. "Don't be so silly."

"That's good to know," he said, walking over and swinging her up into his arms. "But you have to be careful. Taylor is pretty fragile right now."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Oh, please," she said dryly. "I am not nearly as fragile as everyone thinks I am. At least Maddie isn't afraid to touch me. Mom is afraid to look at me because she thinks she'll break me, and Haley and Quinn sit about three feet away from me 'just in case.'"

"And your husband?" Nathan asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"After many threats, I can get him to…" Her eyes flew to Maddie and she chose her words carefully. "_Cooperate._ But it takes…hours and hours of pleading. It's hardly worth it."

Nathan laughed as Haley pushed past him and sat down next to Taylor—three feet away. Taylor gave him a pointed look as if to say 'see.' He put his daughter down and kissed her on the forehead. "Be gentle," he said, as she ran for Taylor again, jumping up beside her.

*****

Nathan made his way into the kitchen and was looking through the cupboards for a glass.

"To the right of the sink," he heard from behind him.

He turned around. "Thanks," he said to Quinn's husband. "Clay, right?" he asked. Hopefully his memory served him correctly.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "So, Haley tells me you're meeting with the Knicks later this week."

Nathan nodded. "Yeah."

"I don't know if Haley told you, but I'm a sports agent. If you have any questions, Haley has my numbers Feel free to call. It's on the house," he offered.

"Thanks a lot," Nathan said. "I will probably be taking you up on that offer."

"I look forward to hearing from you," Clay said as Quinn swept into the room.

She made her way to her husband and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Are you scouting new talent in my sisters' kitchen?" she teased.

He grinned down at her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm always scouting new talent," he reminded her.

Nathan, feeling as though he was intruding on a personal moment, left the kitchen as Clay leaned down to kiss his wife again.

___

"I'll see you in the morning, Daddy," Maddie said as he helped her put her coat on.

"OK, Mads," he said, zipping her coat up. He gave her a kiss on the lips. "Have fun swimming."

She grinned. "Grammie brought me some floaties."

"She's pretty good to you," he agreed as he stood. "See you in the morning," he said to his parents as they headed out the front door.

He returned to the living room, finding a spot on the floor next to Haley. Tyler had let up and allowed Taylor to join them provided she stay on the couch and keep her feet elevated. Haley grinned at him as he sat down and handed him a cup of hot chocolate. He took a sip and listed to the conversation going on around him. They were arguing over baby names—Angus was out, and Quinn and Clay were being plied with questions as to when they were going to give Lydia and Jimmy another grandchild.

Quinn laughed. "Why aren't you pressuring Haley?" she asked.

"Because for one thing, _Haley_ is not married. And for another, she's already given us Maddie. You and Clay are bringing up the rear."

"We have a six year plan," Quinn reminded them. "Kids come into play within the next two, so for now—hush!" she commanded.

Lydia and Jimmy laughed. "Two years," she said doubtfully. "Right. Not once you meet this little one." She put her hand on her middle daughter's belly for the first time since she'd been there.

___

"Well, we're back in Maine," Nathan said, plopping down onto the bed next to Haley.

She nodded slowly.

Nathan grinned. "This is where you tried to get in my pants for the first time," he reminded her in a teasing tone.

She reached over and smacked him softly on the stomach. "I did not!" she disagreed in a high-pitched voice.

Nathan grinned. "Did, too." There was a pause. "And when I wouldn't give in, you got _so_ mad at me!"

"Now I know you're lying."

Nathan shook his head. "Am not."

Haley laughed. "That's not how I remember it," she said firmly.

"Of course you don't," he teased, reaching over and resting a hand on her thigh.

But she moved up onto her knees and looked at him, a solemn expression on her face. "Why did you sleep with me?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Nathan returned.

"I _mean_…you were more concerned with me being a virgin than I was. And you wouldn't sleep with me. And then, when we were in California, you let me talk you into it," she told him.

Nathan laughed. "You didn't have to talk me into anything."

"Well, I kind of did," she argued.

Nathan sighed. "When we were dating, I always thought that we were eventually going to end up married, and that one day," he shrugged. "I'd get to have you. But when you left…well, I…I wasn't sure anymore. And I wasn't sure that I could go the rest of my life _not_ having you. So I…had to sleep with you in case I never got the chance again."

"What if I told you I wanted you right now? Again?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Don't say that," he said.

"Nathan—"

"Haley! I won't be able to say no to you!"

"That's what I'm counting on," she said softly.

He shook his head firmly and scrambled as far away from her as he could on the mattress without falling off. "NO!"

"Why not?" she asked amused.

"I can't…change what happened between us in California, but I can make sure that the next time we're together…circumstances are different," he explained.

Haley sighed she lowered herself into a sitting position. "Are you still…interested in…forever?" she asked quietly.

He grinned slowly. "I'm still interested in forever," he assured her.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. Then lay back on the mattress, one hand thrown up over her head, the other on her belly.

Nathan moved closer to her and reached for the hand on her stomach, lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm also interested in right now," he whispered as his lips came down onto hers. She opened her mouth for him, and his tongue found hers, caressing it softly. He lifted her shirt up and reached for the button on her pants, then began to unzip her pants. She lifted her arms around his neck as he moved his hand between her legs, parting her softly.

Neither one of them heard the bedroom door open. "Hales, can you—" They heard Quinn gasp. "Oh, I'm sorry. Carry on," she said weakly.

They door closed and Nathan lowered his forehead to Haley's. "You didn't lock the door?" he asked urgently.

"Obviously," she said dryly.

He flew up off the bed, locked the door, and then returned to her side, his hand lowering to its previous destination.

Haley pulled her knees together, her eyes widening. "Nathan, we can't…"

"Oh, what?" he asked. "You think your sister won't be doing the same thing in about two minutes?"

Haley frowned. "OK. I did _not _want to think about that," she said.

"Then spread your legs and I'll take your mind off it," he said with a wicked grin.

Haley pursed her lips but did as he asked. When he tugged on the waist of her jeans, she lifted her hips off the mattress and he pulled them, along with her panties, down her legs and then tossed them onto the floor.

She was still wearing her t-shirt, but that didn't matter. He reached between her legs again, but this time, he slid two fingers inside of her. "Already so wet," he said raggedly as he began to move them slowly in and out of her. He watched as the rise and fall of her chest increased, and then leaned down, his tongue finding her center. He circled her twice before moving his tongue back and forth. He could feel her swell as his tongue stroked her and when she reached down and tangled her fingers in his hair, he knew she was close.

"Nathan," she moaned.

He increased the tempo of his tongue and fingers at the same time and he felt her body go rigid immediately. She whimpered as she came, and Nathan continued to taste her and touch her until he felt her body slump against the mattress. He pulled his fingers out, then lifted his head and studied her face. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted as her body worked to even out her breathing again. When she opened her eyes, she smiled up at him. "Somehow thank you doesn't seem adequate," she said with a laugh.

"Yeah. 'You're amazing' will suffice," he teased.

"You _are_," she told him.

"I was kidding," he assured her.

"Well I wasn't," she said firmly as she stood. She walked over to her suitcase and pulled one of her oversized t-shirts out. Nathan followed suit, finding a pair of bottoms stripping down to his boxers. He was stepping into them when Haley appeared in front of him. She gave him a soft push and he fell back onto the bed with a chuckle. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"That's _twice_ now that you've…satisfied me and gotten nothing in return," she reminded him.

He grinned up at her, lifting his upper body so he was sitting up on the side of the mattress. "I'm making an _investment_," he informed her. "I'll see a return eventually."

"Well, that's not good enough," she said.

"Sure it is."

But she shook her head firmly. "Not for me." She pushed him again, his upper body falling back down onto the mattress. She tugged at his boxers and pulled them down over his feet; he was hard, just as she'd anticipated. She lifted one knee onto the mattress, then the other. She found him with her hand and ran the head of his length between her folds, up and down again.

"What are you _doing_?" he hissed, trying to sit up.

But she put her free hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. "Relax," she said. "I'm not gonna take you. I just…need to feel you between my legs again." She positioned herself so that he was completely enveloped between her folds and pulled her thighs together, tightening them as much as she could. She began to rock back and forth, his length rubbing softly back and forth over her center. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, continuing her movements until she felt herself swell again. But she forced herself to stop. This wasn't about her—she wanted to make him feel the way he'd made her feel, so she parted her legs, preparing to move off him. But his hands clamped onto her outer legs pushing them together again. "Not yet," he said raggedly. He grabbed her hips and moved her back and forth. He could feel the heat between her legs and he knew she was going to come again. He wasn't about to let her stop while she was on the cusp. When she found a pace on her own, he moved his hands from her hips to her thighs, pushing them closer together.

God, _she _thought she was inexperienced, and all Nathan could think was that this was the next best thing to actually being inside of her and _she'd_ been the one to introduce him to it. It wasn't long before she softly cried out his name again, and then sighed contentedly. She moved off him and fell to her knees beside the mattress, positioning her body between his legs. He was close—she'd made sure of that, and all it took was the feel of her tongue on him—wet and hot, before he started to come. He wasn't proud of that fact, but he'd been so long without her that he couldn't stop it. She used her lips to make a seal around him, swallowing willingly as his body found release. When he was finished, she pulled her mouth away and swirled her tongue around him, from his base to tip, to make sure she'd gotten every drop.

When she stood, he sat up and grabbed her upper arms, pulling her body down onto his.

"I think that was the quickest blow job on record," she teased.

"And yet the best," he informed her with a laugh.


	90. Chapter 90

"I hate this part," Haley said as the plane began to descend. They were going to be landing at LaGuardia momentarily. It had been a hectic visit with her family, and after putting Maddie on a plane with Dan and Deb, they'd boarded their own plane for New York.

Nathan grinned as he shut the magazine he was reading and turned to look at her. "You can survive three days with your family, but a _plane_ landing freaks you out?" he teased.

She smiled weakly. "Just a little."

He reached for the hand that was closest to him and linked his fingers through hers. "It's gonna be fine," he assured her.

"Easy for you to say. Chris Keller isn't at the end of _your_ destination," she reminded him.

Nathan laughed heartily. "This is true. You have it way worse than I do. But at least they decided to do a live video. You won't have to kiss him."

Haley shuddered at the very idea. "That is the most disgusting thought ever," she said primly.

XXXXX

"Hey, Hales!" an enthusiastic voice called as she reached for her luggage.

She turned around with a wince. "Hi, Chris," she said. She could hear Nathan stifling a laugh next to her, and resisted the urge to kick him in the shins.

"There's a limo waiting for us down in Transportation," he announced.

Nathan wrapped an arm around her. "And a shuttle waiting to take me to our hotel," he told her. "You ready?"

"Hey, Nate," Chris said.

Nathan nodded curtly. "Hi, Punk."

The three made their way to Transportation, and as promised, there was a limo waiting for Haley and Chris. And much to their surprise, Clay was waiting for Nathan.

"Clay!" Haley said to her brother-in-law. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she gave him a quick hug.

"I couldn't let Nathan go to this meeting alone. He needs someone there who knows what's going on." Clay grinned. "And I need to sign some new talent. What do you say, Nate? Am I hired?"

Nathan grinned as he stuck his hand out. "I appreciate any help I can get," he said. "You're hired."

"We have to go, Hales. We need to be at the studio to meet the director," Chris reminded her.

Haley nodded before turning to Nathan. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "Not that you'll need it, because…you're super talented. But good luck."

"And not that _you'll_ need it, because you're super hot, but burn up that screen," he said before he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. He pulled away. "But don't be _too_ hot. I don't want all the men chasing after you."

Haley laughed. "I'd be too busy chasing after _you_ to notice them," she told him.

He grinned. "I like the way you think, Haley James." He gave her a tight hug. "See you tonight."

XXXXX

"Never _ever_ take the first deal they offer," Clay coached Nathan as they walked into the lobby of the hotel. They stopped at the front desk so Clay could book the room next to Haley's and Nathan's, and then they headed for the elevator. Clay hit the appropriate button, and the elevator doors closed.

Nathan nodded. "Right."

"And no matter what, _don't_ get too excited or act too antsy. And we're gonna play up the fact that you're in a 'healthy' relationship and that you've raised your daughter single-handedly for the last five years," Clay informed him.

"Well, with a lot of help from my parents," Nathan corrected.

Clay nodded. "Right. You've been a real family man from the beginning. PR people _love_ that angle."

Nathan chuckled. "Aren't they going to want to talk more about my statistics?" he asked.

Clay lifted an eyebrow. "You'd be surprised," he muttered. "They've had two of their starters arrested for assault in the last six months. They need positive PR right now. And signing you in the midst of all of this scandal could turn team morale around for them."

"You're the expert," Nathan said.

XXXXX

Haley held back a sigh. She'd been sitting in this make-up chair for the last forty-five minutes and she was bored out of her mind. Not to mention her head hurt from the curlers that had been in her hair for the last hour. She studied her face in the mirror. Her skin looked flawless, but her eye make up looked horrible. She'd never seen anyone wearing as much black eye liner as she was right now and was pretty sure that if she went walking down the street, _someone_ would name a price.

An hour later, she and Chris were finally in the studio sitting on little stools with microphones in front of them. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with random frayed spots on them, and a sleeveless v-neck top that buttoned up the front in emerald green. Her honey-colored curls were cascading down over her shoulders. Chris was next to her with his guitar on his lap, wearing blue jeans and a light yellow t-shirt. He looked like he was wearing almost as much make up as she was, but twice as miserable. Things just weren't clicking with the director, and the studio was _not_ impressed with the way things were going. After they'd been shooting for nearly three hours, one of the record execs came in. "I want more angst," she said. "I want more…oomph. Sensuality. Meeting in my office," she announced as everyone who was working on the video followed her, leaving Chris and Haley alone in the studio.

"Are they always like this?" Haley asked.

Chris shrugged. "I don't know. This is the first album I've recorded with this studio. _And_ my first video with them. I'm not sure if this is the norm or not. These people are pickier than what _I'm _used to."

It was another hour before the execs came back. "Change of plans," one of them announced.

XXXXX

"How do you think it went?" Nathan asked as he and Clay walked out of the building where they'd met with the people who held Nathan's basketball future in their hands.

Clay grinned. "Spectacular. Nathan, they want you so bad they can taste it. I'll be surprised if we don't hear from them by the end of the day. Of course, it will take a little time to negotiate and draw up the contracts, but they want you," he said confidently. "And that bit about not joining the team until you'd graduated from college…genius! When you said you wanted to set a good example for your daughter, they started salivating. I bet they're watching footage from your college career as we _speak_."

"Really?" Nathan asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Clay answered. "Really."

Nathan grinned. "You know better than I do." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket when it started to ring. "Hey. How's it going?" he asked in a soft tone.

"Not very good," Haley said.

He laughed at her tone of voice. She sounded like she was panicking. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Well, I won't _quite _be making it to the hotel tonight," she informed him.

"What?" he asked.

"We're going to Hawaii," she said miserably.

"For what?" Nathan asked.

She sighed. "The record executives didn't like the way the video was going. They want it to be more angsty. When they came up for the video concept, the song hadn't quite taken off yet, but now that it's so big, they want something more."

"Well, what does that mean?"

"It means I'm probably going to have to _kiss_ Chris Keller!" she hissed.

Nathan had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

"This is all _your_ fault, you know!" she informed him. "You jinxed me when you said 'at least you don't have to kiss him.'"

"I'm sorry," he said, feigning sincerity. There was a _little_ humor in the whole situation, even if Haley couldn't see it.

"I can't…_do_ this, Nathan. I can't…kiss another guy. I'm not an actor. I'm a singer!" she said fervently.

"Hales," Nathan said softly "You can do this. It will be over before you know it, and then you'll be back home with _me_. And you'll never have to see Chris Keller again."

"Well I like the thought of _that_," she said, then sighed. "I have to go. The limo just got here and we have to catch our flight to Hawaii."

"OK," Nathan said. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Oh, my God! I'm so selfish! How did your meeting go?" she asked.

"Clay thinks it went great," he said. "So I'm taking him at his word and…thinking good thoughts."

"Good," she said. "And…Clay really knows his stuff. If he says it went good, then it did. I'll call you when we land."

"Hopefully I'll have good news," Nathan said.

XXXXX

"Cut! Bleach and ammonia have more chemistry than the two of you," the director informed Haley as she pulled out of Chris' embrace. It was chilly for Hawaii, and they were in the ocean up to their knees.

Haley didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. She hadn't realized how hard this was going to be. And oddly enough, Chris was her comrade throughout this entire ordeal. He'd been doing his best to make this as comfortable as possible, cracking jokes and offering advice. But things still weren't clicking with the two of them. The director was right. They had no chemistry. She was ready to give up.

Until she saw him standing in the sand. "Nathan," she breathed, as she headed for the shore.

He was grinning as he walked to where the water was lapping the sand to meet her. "Hey," he said softly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He grinned. "Saving you, from the looks of things. You look like you're getting ready to kiss a fish out there," he teased.

Haley winced. "This is ridiculous, Nathan! I'm supposed to be a professional. They're spending a lot of money on this video, and I'm tanking out there! Why can't I do this, Nathan?"

Nathan grinned. "Maybe it's not you. Maybe it's you and Chris together. Remember Message in a Bottle?" he asked.

She nodded, surprised that _he_ remembered her rant. "Great book could have been a great movie, except that Kevin Costner and Robin Wright Penn had no chemistry."

"Exactly," Nathan said. "And there was nothing _either_ of them could do to make it appear as though they did."

"The director isn't going to like that theory," she whispered with a grin.

Nathan smiled back at her. "Then you'll just have to pretend he's me," he said as he leaned down to kiss her.


	91. Chapter 91

They'd only been back from Hawaii for a week and already the video was set to premiere. The song was exploding on the charts, and they'd wanted to get it edited and out as soon as possible before the buzz died down.

Nathan had been gone for almost the entire week. They'd had a six day break for Christmas, and after that, it was on the road again for the basketball team. He'd just gotten home a few hours ago, and they were putting Maddie in the back of his SUV to head to Brooke and Lucas'. She'd been adamant that they'd all gather together to watch the video's debut. Haley would have been content to stay at home with Nathan and watch it curled up on the couch, but sometimes it was just easier to say yes than fight with Brooke.

She heard the back door close and smiled at Nathan as he got in on the driver's side. After he closed his door and buckled himself in he reached for her hand and pulled it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "How long before you think Brooke notices?" he asked, threading his fingers through hers as he pulled away from the curb.

Haley shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I miss Hawaii," he said.

Haley's grin widened. "You mean where Brooke _wasn't_?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yep," Nathan said as he started the vehicle.

"Why don't you want to be where Brooke is?" Maddie asked from the back.

Nathan groaned. If she told his sister-in-law about this, he was in _so_ much trouble. He saw Haley purse her lips out of the corner of his eye. Clearly she was trying not to laugh.

"It's not that I don't like to be around her…" he began, fumbling for words. "It's just…sometimes Brooke doesn't let us do what _we_ want to do," he said with a wince. This was the worst explanation he'd ever given.

But he saw her nod enthusiastically in the rearview mirror. "I know what you mean," she said, sitting back against the seat with a sigh. "Laney is the _exact _same way. Sometimes she wants to play dress up, and _I_ want to play with the baby dolls, but we _always _have to do what she wants to do."

Nathan sighed in relief. For now, it seemed as though his reasoning had worked.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Hey, you guys!" Brooke opened the door before they'd even had a chance to knock.

"Hi," Haley said.

"Nothing like waiting for the last minute to show up," she said, closing the door behind them. "I had to pour the chips in the bowl with no help at all."

"I brewed the coffee," Lucas said from the living room.

Nathan grinned. "So we know the coffee's safe," he whispered to Haley.

"I heard that," Brooke said with a scowl as she led the way into the living room.

"Maddie, wanna play dress up?" they heard Laney say.

"I'd rather play Barbie's," Maddie answered as she followed Laney down the hallway.

"Well, we're _playing_ dress up," Laney said petulantly.

Haley looked at Nathan and bit her lip to keep from chuckling as they walked into the living room.

"Hey guys," Peyton said from one of the chairs.

"Hi," Haley said as she sat down on the couch.

"Where's Jenny?" Nathan asked as he bent over and took Jeyton from Jake's arms.

"She's at my mom's," Jake answered.

Nathan nodded as he sat down next to Haley.

"I tried to get her to come with us, but they were making cookies," Jake said.

"Did you bring any?" Lucas asked eagerly.

"No," Jake said.

"Baby, I told you I made cookies earlier if you want one."

Lucas' eyes widened and he frowned. "That's great," he said cautiously. "Can you bring me half of one?"

Brooke sighed. "You know I tried and wasn't able to break them."

"Oh. Then never mind," he said with a grin.

Brooke walked into the living room and sat down on Lucas' lap. "So how was the road trip, Nathan?" she asked.

"Long," he said.

"Yeah, I was amazed you guys agreed to come over. I felt like I had to strong arm you. You know how I hate to twist your arm," she said sweetly.

Nathan had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything. Like hell she hated twisting their arms. It was the way she got what she wanted. But it wasn't like he could say anything. Brooke only did what she did because she loved them…crazy as her methods never failed to be.

"Classes start up again in a few days," Jake said with a groan.

Peyton kicked her husband lightly with the toe of her shoe. "And you can't wait. You are on kid overload," she said with a laugh.

Jake laughed. "I wouldn't say that."

Peyton lifted an eyebrow. "Honey, your hair is starting to recede," she teased.

"That's not funny," he said.

"It was a little," Nathan argued. "Right, Jeyton?" he said to the baby in a softer tone. Jeyton laughed as if on cue.

"Oh, good. Puttin' the screws to your old man already," Jake said dryly.

Brooke jumped up and turned the television on before returning to Lucas' lap.

Haley laughed. "Brooke, it's not coming on for another forty five minutes," she reminded her friend.

"Yes, but I like to be ready," she said, and then sighed. "You won't tell us _anything_ about the video?" she asked with a wine.

"Not a smidge of information," Haley said.

"_I'll_ tell you," Nathan said shortly. "She wasn't wearing _nearly_ enough clothes."

Haley put her hand over Nathan's mouth. "No more," she said.

Jake frowned. "Really? I prefer Peyton with_out_ clothes."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "That's funny because every time I take them off, you roll over and start snoring."

Lucas hooted with laughter and Jake gave him a dirty look. "Wait until you have another kid," he muttered.

Brooke shook her head. "Not in the cards for us," she informed Jake. "Not for awhile, anyway. I have a career to launch after I get my degree."

Lucas nodded. "Or at least until that bottle of cellulite cream is gone, right baby?"

"That's right," Brooke agreed.

They made small talk for the next half an hour, Maddie and Laney running in and out of the living room every few minutes. It was finally time for the video to premier, and after the VJ introduced it, the video started. There were palm trees blowing softly in the wind before moving to the sand, the waves lapping the shore. The music started and flashed to Chris, sitting on a stump with a guitar, before moving to the shore. The camera was shooting the length of the beach, and you could see a figure approaching the screen. It wasn't long before you could see Haley, her long, honey colored hair in big curls cascading down over her shoulders. She was wearing a white button up shirt that stopped just above her knees, the cuffs rolled up on to her elbows. The first few buttons of the shirt were undone, causing it to fall off one shoulder. It was clear that it was a man's shirt probably belonging to whomever she'd spent the previous night with.

"Haley," Brooke said in awe. "You look gorgeous!"

"Thanks," Haley said, her eyes not leaving the screen. She hadn't seen the finished product, just some raw footage in between takes.

"Is that…_Nathan_?" Peyton asked, squinting her eyes to make out the figure coming in the opposite direction.

"It _is_ Nathan!" Brooke said. "Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded.

"Because it was fun having my very own secret," Haley said.

All Nathan was wearing was a pair of white pants; they were lounge pants rolled up to his knees and he was barefoot.

"Hello, six pack," Brooke said.

Lucas' jaw dropped. "Don't say shit like that about my brother," he said.

"It's OK," Brooke said, patting her husband's belly. "I like your beer belly better."

"I do not...all right, I might have gained a few pounds," he conceded. "But only because I'm content."

"Good answer," Brooke said her eyes glued to the screen.

The video continued with Haley and Nathan frolicking in the water and on the beach until the screen darkened to night. The chemistry between them was electric.

"How are you guys not having sex?" Brooke asked in astonishment.

The camera zoned in on a campfire, and Chris was still on the stump playing his guitar, singing along with the song. The couple in the video began arguing, tears streaking Haley's face as she bit her lower lip.

"You're a good actress," Peyton said appreciatively.

Haley grinned at her friend, and then returned her eyes to the screen.

After the couple fought, the screen lit up again, and dawn was breaking. Haley was sitting on the beach staring out at the ocean, and Nathan was approaching from behind. When he reached her, he knelt down in front of her and pulled out a velvet box. Her eyes flew to his, filled with surprise and confusion. She leapt up as he straightened and jumped into his arms, then he swung her around. The camera moved to the palm trees, whipping softly in the wind before the screen faded to black and the video ended.

"So, what did you think?" Haley asked.

Brooke sighed. "It was _so_ romantic," she said.

"I don't get it," Peyton said with a frown.

"What do you mean, 'you don't _get_ it?'" Nathan asked.

"The video is…wistful. And angsty." She shrugged. "I guess I'm just surprised they closed it with a proposal," she admitted.

Haley cleared her throat as she lifted her left hand, her eyes shining.

Brooke's eyes widened and she was at her friend's side in an instant, her hand grabbing Haley's urgently. "Holy Toledo," she breathed. "You guys got engaged?"

Haley nodded enthusiastically while Nathan grinned.

"Tell us _everything_," Brooke said. "And don't leave out a _single_ detail!"

"OK," Haley said. "But first I have to use the facilities."

"Me, too," Nathan said, thrusting Jeyton at Brooke as he stood. He followed Haley into the bathroom and closed the door behind them. "Did you like the video?" he asked.

She nodded. "I _loved_ it."

"Me, too," he agreed his grin widening. "And I love that they got our proposal on videotape."

Haley laughed. "Me, too." She took a deep breath. "Now we have to tell her every detail of our trip."

Nathan smirked. "Maybe not _every _detail."

"Right," she agreed.

Nathan took a step towards Haley and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What do you think is gonna happen when Brooke finds out we got married?"

Haley sunk into her husband. "I think she'll be relieved that we're having sex," she said in a teasing tone as she lifted her lips to his.


	92. Chapter 92

Nathan pulled a sleeping Maddie out of the back seat and carried her into the house, Haley ahead of him to open the door. He carried Maddie upstairs and put her in her pajamas, tucked her in, then went back downstairs into the living room to where Haley was sitting on the couch and sank down next to her, dropping an arm around her shoulders.

"Can you believe she made us set a date right then and there?" Nathan asked in amusement.

Haley's lips twitched. "Can I _believe_ it? It's Brooke," she said dryly. "But…I feel like such a fraud…lying to them like that."

"Don't worry, wife. I'm about to make you feel lots better," he said, moving her hair back over her shoulder to place a soft kiss on her neck.

"Nathan, I'm watching The Vampire Diaries," she said teasingly.

He pulled away in mock astonishment. "We've been married for just over a week, and already you have better things to do than let your husband make love to you?"

Haley grinned. "What the hell? It's a repeat," she said, getting to her feet. She held her hand out to help him up. "Come on."

He took her hand and jerked her forward so she landed all sprawled out on him. "What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"What's wrong with the couch?" he asked.

Haley sighed as she played with one of the buttons on his shirt. "The bedroom door has a lock on it, and I can't fully…_enjoy_ you while I'm afraid that Maddie's going to walk into the room at any moment."

Nathan chuckled. "Fine," he said as he situated her on his lap and stood with her in his arms. "We'll do it your way."

"_That _is what I like to hear," she said huskily as she wrapped her legs around his waist and then pressed her lips against his jaw in a light kiss.

"For God's sake, Haley, if you want to make it up the stairs then keep your damn lips off me!"

Nathan made it to their bedroom, dropped Haley on the bed, and then turned around to lock the door before plopping down beside her.

"I can't believe she went for our lame story," Haley said with a laugh.

"Yeah, that's not like Brooke at all. Usually she's…right on her game when someone is trying to keep something from her."

Haley nodded in agreement. "But I think she's much like I was."

"How's that?" Nathan asked.

"So excited at the prospect of us having sex that she can't see much else," she teased.

Nathan sighed. "I'm beginning to thing that you only married me for my body," he said with a grin.

Haley sat up and put one leg over his waist so she was straddling him. She put both of her hands on his chest. "Icing on the cake, Baby" she said, eyes dancing.

"Is _that_ why you begged me to marry you?" Nathan joked. "To get me into bed?"

"That was only part of it," she told him. "But the thought of having you again…it definitely was motivation to get you to the altar posthaste."

Nathan laughed and Haley's grin widened.

"You unleashed a monster," she said, blaming him.

"Yes, well, maybe if I hadn't been so fantastic in bed…" he said, voice trailing off.

"Newsflash, Nathan Scott. I'm pretty sure I would have wanted to marry you anyway."

"Good to know," he said, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

_Eight days ago…_

"_Did you pick it out by yourself?" Haley asked, lifting her hand again to study the diamond gracing the ring finger on her left hand._

"_All by myself," Nathan confirmed, sighing contentedly as he stretched out beside her on the king-sized mattress._

"_You did…so good," she said, putting her hand on his chest to push herself up. "You know, an engagement should really be followed by…hot sex," she said gravely._

_Nathan laughed. "Hales, we're waiting until we're married," he told her._

"_Fine," she muttered as she fell back against the crisp white sheets. Stupid things. If she could get her boyfriend into bed, they wouldn't be so damn crisp. These sheets should be…wrinkled, and…__**used**__._

_She sighed deeply as Nathan kissed her bare shoulder._

_He fell back down beside her. "What?" he asked._

"_Well we know __**you**__ were good in bed because I'm…frantic to have you again."_

"_Hales, you were __**fantastic**_," _Nathan said resolutely. "I just…I love you enough to want to give you what I can. And I can't…give you your…." He grinned. "Purity back. So I'm gonna give you this. I'm gonna wait until it's official this time."_

_Haley's mind started working overtime and she flew up onto her knees. "Nathan," she said urgently._

"_What?" he asked as he looked up at her._

"_What if we make if official?" she asked._

_He reached for her left hand and held it up so she could see her ring. "Isn't that what __**this**__ is for?" he teased._

"_No, I __**mean,**__" she started impatiently. "What if we make it official…tonight?" _

_He pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Are you serious?" he asked._

_She nodded fervently._

"_You…want to marry me so we can sleep together?"_

"_That's not why I want to marry you," she told him. "That's just why I want to marry you right now."_

"_Haley—"_

"_But that's not the only reason, Nathan. So many…stupid things have already pushed us apart. I don't want us to be apart again."_

"_We're not gonna be," Nathan promised her, reaching up and resting his hand on her cheek. "Hales, __**nothing**__ is gonna push us apart again."_

_She leaned into his palm. "Ok. If you believe that, then marry me. Right here. Tonight."_

"_Haley…"_

_She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, her tongue pushing forward slowly into his mouth, moving against his. She reached underneath his shirt and rested her hand on his hot skin before pulling away. "Nathan…please. I want you. I want __**all**__ of you."_

_He searched her eyes…they were mixed with sincerity and desperation. "OK," he agreed._

"_Really?" she asked._

_He nodded. "Really," he said firmly._

_They'd dressed quickly and then made their way down to the front desk. It was almost one in the morning and there was an elderly man on duty. He'd informed the two that there was a justice of the peace just down the road, and after getting directions, they'd been on their way. It had been a simple ceremony, taking place in the living room of a middle-aged man and his wife. They'd used traditional vows and then returned immediately to the hotel. _

_Once outside their hotel room door, Nathan swept her up into his arms._

"_What are you doing?" she asked with a giggle._

_He grinned. "Carrying you over the…threshold," he said._

"_But we don't live here," she reminded him._

"_Hales," he said softly. "We're about to make love for the first time as a married couple. That's good enough for me," he said, shifting her position so he could open the door._

_Nathan had been sly—he'd gotten the desk clerk alone before they'd left and managed to talk him into placing lit votives around the room, then dropping white rose petals on the floor from the doorway to the bed. There had been a pile of __**red**__ rose petals on the white sheets. _

"_Nathan," she said softly as he put her down, her body sliding against his until her feet touched the floor. She looked around at the candlelit room. "This is gorgeous," she breathed._

_He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. "It's got nothing on you," he told her._

_She turned around and pressed her body against his, lifting her lips as his descended. He lifted his hands to her cheeks, kissing her softly. He felt her sigh in contentment before pulling away and taking his hand. She led him to the bed and then turned around she was facing him. Meeting his eyes, she reached for the hem of her shirt, and pulled it over her head, then reached for the front clasp on her bra, opening it so it fell down her arms and onto the floor. Nathan's eyes never left her as she finished undressing. When she was completely unclothed, he stepped forward and caught her face in his hands, kissing her urgently._

_She reached for the button on his khaki's, then unzipped them and reached her hand into his boxers to circle his length with her hand._

_With a hiss, he pulled his lips from hers, his body tensing instantly. "Let's save that," he said in a strangled voice, reaching for her wrist. She lifted an eyebrow in amusement but released her grip on him as he pulled her hand away._

_She lifted her hand to the buttons on his dress shirt, and he reached down to pull his pants and boxers off while she pushed his sleeves down over his shoulders. He shook it from his arms as he straightened. _

_Haley sat down on the edge of the mattress, then moved backwards so she was sitting on the bed, her arms behind her holding her up. Her breasts were thrust forward from her position and Nathan quickly moved onto the mattress and kneeled between her thighs, lowering his head to her breast. Her head fell back with a groan as Nathan's tongue moved round and round before flicking swiftly back and forth over her swollen peak. He lifted a hand to her other breast, the pad of his thumb moving back and forth over her flesh in time with his tongue on the other one. When he lifted his head, she almost groaned. Before she could, his mouth descended to her other nipple, and she sighed in contentment as he paid it the same attention he had the other one. When he lightly nipped at her peak, she went limp and her elbows weren't able to hold her up any longer. She fell back onto the mattress and Nathan went with her, his mouth never leaving her flesh. She lifted a hand to his head, her fingers gently tugging his hair._

_He kissed his way up the center of her chest to her throat, and she tightened her grip on his hair, pulling it up. "Nathan," she breathed._

_He gave her a questioning look and watched as she struggled for breath. "I want to feel you inside of me again."_

"_Haley—"_

"_**Please,**__" she begged._

_Nathan was convinced that as long as he lived, he'd never gain enough strength to deny her anything. But he had to know she was ready for him. He reached between her legs and moved two fingers inside of her, resting his thumb against her core. That earned him a gasp. His eyes flew to hers. "You're already wet," he said in surprise._

_She grinned. "I think I have been for months," she teased._

_He positioned himself between her thighs and with a groan, he drove inside of her, stilling when she whimpered. "I'm sorry," he whispered sheepishly. But her hips rose off the bed so she could take more of him._

_She shook her head as she looked up at him, her curls rustling against the pillow. "No," she said. "That wasn't pain. That was…longing. I've waited so long for this, Nathan Scott."_

_He grinned. "Now you have it," he said as he began moving inside of her again, plunging forward again and again at a frenzied pace._

_Nathan felt her body begin to tighten, and when her shoulders lifted off the mattress, he reached behind her, cradling her upper body against his as their lower bodies moved together. Her head fell back against the pillow as she cried out his name, and he felt her body shudder as he continued his pace. His own body stiffened and he collapsed on top of hers with a contented sigh._

"_Oh, Nathan," Haley said huskily. "I love you so much."_

"_I love you, too, Haley," he said softly._

_They lay there for a few minutes before she heard him chuckle. _

_"Getting married tonight was a __**fantastic**__ idea." _


	93. Chapter 93

**Six Months Later**

The church had been beautiful…sterling roses had graced the pews as Haley's father had marched her down the aisle to Nathan, and her bouquet had consisted of just three dark purple dahlias.

In true Haley style, her dress hadn't been ostentatious. Instead, it had been white and strapless with the fabric on the bodice draped to the side. A small champagne colored ribbon sash adorned the waist, and the dress just touched the floor. Brooke had done a fantastic job with it…the dress _and_ the wedding.

She'd worn her hair down at Nathan's request, her hair pinned just right so that her honey colored curls were cascading down over one shoulder. She'd never looked more stunning.

And as Nathan stood just outside the reception hall with Jake and Lucas, she was all he could think about. Haley was finally his (although, unbeknownst to everyone else she had been for months now) and Maddie finally had a mother. It seemed that both their dreams had come true. Speaking of…the front door to the building opened and Haley, Peyton, and Brooke walked out. The three were never too far apart.

"Here you are," Haley said as she walked up to Nathan's side. He dropped a soft kiss on her lips.

"Hello, Wife," he said with a grin. "I love being able to finally call you that." He pulled her flush against his side and put his lips to her ear. "In front of everyone," he whispered, his breath on her skin causing her to shiver. They hadn't told anyone about their Hawaiian wedding; they'd decided that it was going to be their little secret.

Haley grinned back as their eyes met and held. She knew that look…his eyes were blazing with desire. He couldn't wait to get her alone and do all sorts of delicious things to her body, and she couldn't wait for him to. Brooke had insisted she spend last night with her and Peyton; it had been the first night she'd been away from Nathan since the basketball season had ended, and she'd barely slept a wink. Luckily Brooke had worked wonders with her make-up.

"So, while we're all out here," Nathan said. "We've decided to leave for New York when we get back from the honeymoon."

"What?" Brooke asked in astonishment.

"Wow," was all Lucas said.

"Are you excited to start your career in music?" Peyton asked, eyes shining.

Haley cleared her throat. "I've actually decided against a career in music," she informed her friends.

"Really?" Peyton asked in surprise.

Haley nodded. "I'd rather teach. With Nathan being on the road with the Knicks, it just wouldn't give Maddie any stability if I was touring, so I decided I'd rather teach." She winced. "I didn't like the spotlight all that much anyway," she reminded them.

"This is true," Peyton said with a laugh.

Lucas cleared his throat. "Brooke and I are moving to New York, as well."

"What?" Nathan asked.

Lucas laughed. "Brooke wants to launch her fashion line, and…I can write anywhere. In fact, I'd probably have a much better chance at getting an agent in New York. So we've decided that we're moving to New York, too."

Jake let out a low whistle. "Hot damn," he said in amazement. All eyes flew to him, but it was Peyton who spoke.

"Well, Hales, _you_ might not want a career in music, but I sure as hell do. And where else would I go to do that?"

Haley's eyes widened. "You…you guys are moving to New York, too?"

When Peyton nodded, the girls screeched simultaneously.

"Ok, _that's _gotta stop," Jake said teasingly. He looked back and forth between Lucas and Nathan, then shrugged. "But hey…our lives have paralleled each other's for the last five years. Why not now?

Lucas shrugged. "We've raised our girls together this far…and it's been great."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Nathan agreed.

"And…we're pregnant," Haley informed her friends.

"But…you were waiting until you got married," Brooke said dumbfounded.

"I just knocked her up a few minutes ago," Nathan joked.

Haley hit him playfully in the chest. "Stop it," she warned with a grin.

Brooke screeched again. "Do you know what this means?" she asked.

"Lots and lots of sleepless nights?" Peyton said.

Brooke gave her friend a dirty look. "No! Lots and lots and lots and lots of shopping! I _love_ baby boutiques, and I can even hook you up with some Brooke Davis Scott originals. I don't have a baby line yet, but…" She gasps. "It's the next logical step since Lucas and I will be trying for a second one soon."

"We will?" Lucas asked in surprise. Clearly this was news to him.

But Brooke went on as if she hadn't heard him. "We'll have to start soon, so I guess we'll have to buy blue _and_ pink since we don't know what it's going to be yet, and…are you going to find out what it is? Of course you're going to find out what it is!"

Haley's eyes widened. "OK, Brooke? Breathe," she told her friend.

"Yeah, and…ixnay on the baby shopping thing," Nathan said.

"What?" Brooke asked angrily.

"We'll be having sex. Lots and lots of sex. She's not going to have time for baby shopping. We'll order everything on-line," he said.

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "When you're on the road, she's _mine_," she informed her brother in law.

Nathan chuckled and he looked at his wife. "Rethinking that music career?" he teased.

She nodded hastily.

The door opened again and Lydia peeked her head out. "It's time for the bride and groom to have their first dance," she informed them.

"Just in the nick of time," Nathan said as he took his wife's hand. They headed inside, followed by the others and were bombard by champagne colored silk as three little girls descended upon them. Maddie was beaming as she reached her arms up for her father. He lifted her up and kissed her on the cheek. "What's up, Mads?" he asked.

She leaned forward, whispering something in his ear before pulling away. "They know," he told her.

Maddie looked down at Laney and Jenny. "I'm going to be a big sister," she announced with a triumphant grin, as if it was something she'd made happen all by herself.

Jenny grinned back, and Laney stomped her foot petulantly. "I'm gonna be the _only_ one without a baby brother or sister!" she said with a pout.

"Don't worry," Lucas replied dryly. "Apparently you won't have to wait long."

The D.J. announced Mr. and Mrs. Scott, and Nathan and Haley walked out to dance to the song they'd chosen, Always and Forever by Luther Vandross.

* * *

"Brooke was so thrown for a loop, she didn't even think to ask how far along I am," Haley said with a laugh later that night as she took her earrings off and put them on her vanity.

Nathan walked up behind his wife and pushed her hair to the side, then leaned down and kissed her neck. "Sorry, Babe, but I don't want to talk about Brooke right now."

Haley's body started tingling wherever his lips touched her skin. "What _do_ you want to do?" she asked breathlessly.

He moved so he was standing in front of her and grinned. "Find out what the hell is underneath this dress," he growled, as he reached for the hem and pushed it up to her waist. He fell to his knees in front of her, and pulled it over his head so she couldn't see him.

"Nathan," she shrieked. "What are you doing?"

He looped his fingers in the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs, and she lifted first one foot, then the other so he could pull them off her. "Put your foot on the bench," he instructed.

She complied, lifting a leg to rest her foot on the bench in front of the vanity. She felt his fingers as they parted her, and then his tongue was on her center, hot and wet as it circled her over and over again. "Nathan," she said with a whimper. She would have collapsed if his arm hadn't flown up to wrap around her waist. He was holding her underneath the dress, and the fabric from his shirt was chafing her skin, but it didn't matter—especially when he thrust two fingers inside of her.

"Nathan," she groaned. "I want…"

She tried to tell him that she wanted him inside of her, but as always, her body turned to mush at his command. His fingers were moving in and out of her like lightning, and she was just on the brink of climaxing when his fingers left her; she moaned in displeasure. "_Nathan,_" she admonished. Suddenly he was standing in front of her fumbling with the buttons on his vest. There were only three, but it was taking him longer than it should have to get them opened. Haley watched impatiently, licking her lips in anticipation. She didn't think she'd ever wanted him so much. But she had to admit…she thought that _every_ time.

"Fuck it," he finally said, giving up on the buttons. He pulled his dress pants and boxers down, then grabbed her by the waist and deposited her roughly onto the vanity. He bent his knees so he was level with her, then shoved her dress up to her waist and plunged inside of her.

"OoooOOOoooh," Haley moaned. She wrapped an arm around his neck as he slammed in and out of her, and then, bracing herself with her other hand, she lifted her bottom up off the vanity so she could move her hips with his. Every time he pushed inside of her, her head bounced off the mirror, but it was worth it. She cried out his name as her body tightened around his, and when she felt him coming inside of her, her body turned to jelly and her arm gave out so she was resting on the dresser again. "Oh, God, Nathan," she said as she gasped for breath, her body crumpling against the mirror behind her.

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. "Thank you," he said softly.

"For _that_? No, thank _you,_" she teased, kissing him back.

He shook his head. "Not for that. Although…now that you mention it…thanks," he said with a smirk. "Thank you for _marrying_ me…and for being Maddie's _mother_." He put a hand on her stomach. "And for this one," he said.

Haley wrapped her arms around his neck again. "Thank _you_ for marrying me, for _choosing_ me to be Maddie's mother…" She mirrored his smirk with one of her own. "And for knocking me up."

"Hales, the pleasure was all mine."

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER

_Author's Note: The story with Lauren (Maddie's mother) was never meant to be wrapped up in __Daddies Girls__. It was going to be a short sequel, but I just don't think the interest is there, so sadly, the story will probably never be written._

_For a glimpse of Haley's wedding dress, please see the link on my profile._

_I had not planned on taking this long to write __Daddies Girls__. I can't apologize enough for my erratic (or lack thereof) updating, nor can I thank you enough to your willingness to stick with me until the end. I truly appreciate the hours you've spent reading this story, and it warms my heart to know that you've enjoyed it!_

_Thanks, again! - Angie_


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